Target
by Moving Mountains
Summary: After a Titan falls victim to a mysterious attack, the team discover that one of their own is being targeted by a secret organisation. Will the remaining Titans be able to find out who is behind this before their team of five is reduced to a team of four... permanently. [Chapter 13 added!]
1. Shutdown

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or anything affiliated with it.

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"Checkmate."

Her monotonous voice droned across the common room and into the ears of her four teammates- the youngest of whom reacted by flipping the chess board into the air, causing the remaining three on the sofa to laugh and turn to the polar-opposite Titans: Raven and Beast Boy. Those unfamiliar to Raven would have thought she sounded nonchalant. But to those closest to her – the Teen Titans – you could hear the subtle intonation of pride and pretension.

"Dude, you cheated!"

"I don't cheat."

"She doesn't cheat, Beast Boy," Robin agreed, walking over to them, avoiding the massacre of marble chess pieces on the floor. "You're just a sore loser."

"How would you know! You weren't even watching!" Beast Boy refocused his attention on the dark girl sitting across from him. He wanted to wipe the cute smirk off her face. "You probably used your powers to move the pieces when I wasn't looking!"

"She doesn't need magic to wipe the floor with you, Grass Stain!" Cyborg hollered from his space on the sofa, with no intention to move from the comfortable position he'd adopted since he'd sat down that morning.

With a wave of her hand, Raven enveloped the scattered pieces in dark energy and sent them flying over to the box before allowing them to delicately retake their positions in the purple satin spaces assigned to them. Closing the lid, she sent the box flying precariously in Beast Boy's direction.

"Loser puts it away," she winked, stretching her legs (which ached from being frozen in her cross-legged position for so long.) Muttering his disdain for the demoness under his breath, Beast Boy put the box away in the cupboard before heading into the kitchen area to prepare a vegetarian snack for himself. He had just kicked the fridge shut due his hands being full of tofu and beansprouts when the alarm rang, causing a red light to pulsate around the room.

The Titans ran to the computer. Robin, getting there first, furiously typed on the keyboard to find out where Jump City's latest attack was taking place: the docks.

"Plasmus is attacking a boat with a shipment of hazardous chemicals on board. Be careful. Titans Go!"

At his command, Raven grabbed Starfire and teleported them both to the roof so they could fly to Plasmus' location and scout the area from above. Beast Boy transformed into a cheetah and ran alongside Robin and Cyborg to the garage where the latter two powered up their vehicles and sped through the tower's underground tunnel to the mainland. The green Titan kept up the pace, dodging the civilian vehicles on Jump City's congested roads before getting tired and morphing into an eagle to join the girls in the air.

When they arrived at the docks –an area far away from residences and the business district of the city with less chance of collateral damage – they laid eyes on Plasmus, his magenta 'skin' oozing pus as he devoured gallons of neon-coloured chemicals, unaware of all the frightened workers fleeing around his feet. The three airborne Titans landed behind a stack of metal storage crates, keeping an eye on proceedings while they waited for Robin and Cyborg to arrive.

Starfire, noticing a man limping away from the ships starboard side with chemical burns, took to the air once more to assist the innocent person. Unfortunately, the sight of the Titan distracted Plasmus from his meal. Throwing the now empty container into the ocean, he released an ear-splitting scream and bounded towards the Tamaranian. She managed to set the man she was carrying down in a safe place just before Plasmus reached her. Her hands glowed fluorescent green as she readied a starbolt and fired it into the metahuman's chest. It barely left a mark. Plasmus roared once more, covering the girl in slime. Before he could grab her, a black wall summoned from the floor and blocked the giant monster's hands. He punched the magical barricade as the Titan who created it appeared behind it and took her battle stance beside Starfire.

Beast Boy, who had jumped into the ocean to retrieve the disregarded chemical container to avoid any remaining liquid contaminating the fish and other aquatic creatures, broke the cold water's surface in his whale form to see the T-Car and R-Cycle skid to a halt near the girls' location. He watched for a moment as Cyborg fired his sonic cannon at Plasmus, who ceased smashing his fists against Raven's weakening defenses, waiting for the opportune moment to assist his friends.

"Isn't it past your bedtime, Plasmus?" Robin scowled, throwing a handful of smoke grenades at the creature. Blinded, Plasmus stepped backwards onto an unoccupied ship. Black-covered shipping crates flew into him, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on the chimney. Starbolts swirled around his head, disorienting the villain further.

"Raven, can you access his mind and shut him down?" Robin shouted up to the dark Titan, who was flying above her leader's head looking for more ammunition to add to her arsenal – she'd already thrown all the available shipping crates and didn't want to risk using boats in case any passengers were taking refuge on board.

"If you can keep him still," she messaged through their connection, not wanting her target to overhear her plan.

"Titans, hold him down!" Robin ordered. Beast Boy, turning into a thresher shark, used his teeth to cut through the rope of an anchor. He called over to Starfire, knowing the alien would have no trouble hoisting the weighted object out of the water. She didn't. Like a tomahawk, the Tamaranian threw the anchor towards Plasmus, who was taken by surprise. The rope wound its way around his muscular legs with the help of the momentum from Starfire's almighty strength, causing him to fall.

Cyborg used the opportunity to fire an electrical net from his robotic arm, trapping Plasmus underneath it. Whenever his viscous skin made contact with the net, thousands of volts surged through it. It became too much for him to handle. He finally lay still however he continued to roar in protest. Raven teleported close to him, careful to avoid the residual jumps of electricity, and used her demonic magic to gain entry into his mind and shut down the conscious areas of the brain. Within seconds, Plasmus began to shrink back into his normal human form. Cyborg disabled the net when he saw the skinny man snoozing on the damp floor of the dock.

"Excellent work Titans," Robin praised his team as they gathered around the sleeping body. In the distance, they could hear police sirens racing to their location. Knowing they'd be here to collect the villain and return him to the maximum-security prison, the five Titans began clearing up the debris from the fight – a job made easier by their various super powers. By the time they were done, Chief Lieutenant Duncan Holmes and his team of officers from the fifth precinct had secured the violent prisoner in a van.

"Thanks again, Titans. Jump City would be well and truly screwed without your help," Holmes said as he shook Robin's hand with gratitude.

"Our pleasure, Chief Lieutenant. Safe journey home."

"Likewise."

The police entered their brightly clad vehicles, lights flashing, and drove away from the docks, leaving the Titans standing around in a silent circle. Across the horizon, the sun was just about to set. The evening sea breeze danced around the group of early-twenty year olds, causing Raven to pull her navy cloak closer around her pale, toned body.

"Wanna ride with me?" Cyborg asked, knowing Raven hated feeling cold- although you'd never guess it with her chosen attire: a black leotard which only covered her arms and intimate areas. He could see goosebumps appearing on her exposed legs.

"I'll be fine, thanks," she replied, hating to reveal weakness. She'd just fly home quicker than usual.

Cyborg nodded, watching as she and Starfire took to the air again. Beast Boy immediately turned into a German Shepherd dog, excitedly bounding over to the T-Car and jumping through the open window onto the passenger seat; his huge panting tongue licked drool haphazardly from his open mouth.

"I swear man, if you get any slobber on my dashboard!" Cyborg cursed, running over to his precious creation before Beast Boy could damage it.

Robin let out a small laugh at the exchange between his friends before heading towards his R-Cycle, which was propped up by a vacant building – an old fish factory that shut down ages ago and had yet to be restored. As he grabbed his helmet, the sudden sound of a click sounded above him. On alert, he reached for his extendable bo-staff and allowed it to reach its full length. Looking all around him, he failed to find anything out of the ordinary so he let down his guard and straddled his bike. As Robin turned the key, revving the engine loudly, he stared up at the girls who had yet to move from their floating positions just twenty feet above his head.

"Why haven't you left yet?" Robin enquired through his on-board communicator, noticing the T-Car reversing alongside him in order to exit the docks.

"I sense something…" Raven said. Knowing she was rarely wrong about her instincts, Robin asked Cyborg to scan the area around them.

"My scanners aren't picking up anything out of the ordinary. Maybe you're just tired, Rae." Cyborg replied, turning off the scanners and putting the T-Car into first gear.

"Maybe..." Raven sighed, although the others could tell she wasn't convinced. The sun had now set, the darkness causing the streetlamps around the dock area to automatically flicker to life.

"Titans, move out."

The team set off: flying, levitating and driving away from the docks and back towards their home – ironically, the most conspicuous building in Jump City. In the air, the girls chose to cross the ocean as it was the quickest route home. Starfire flew slightly in front of her shorter companion, relishing in the freedom she felt when the wind attacked her luscious red locks. The alien was so focused on her delightful thoughts – the fuel for her flight – that she failed to notice Raven lagging behind.

Until she heard a gasp.

Stopping mid-flight, she turned to see Raven falling furiously towards the ocean below. Shocked, she swooped down and tried to grab her but the dark bird was out of reach. Summoning all her will-power, Starfire yelled as she pushed her body to its limits, falling faster and faster towards the unwelcoming water and the girl she was trying to save from its clutches.

Raven pierced the water's surface.

Panicked, Starfire pushed the emergency button on her communicator: the action linked her to the other Titans.

"Starfire, what's going on?"

"Raven fell into the ocean! I can't find her!"

"What!" the three protective men shouted in disbelief at her statement. Cyborg, who was driving along the coastal road back to the tower, swerved from the concrete road onto the grassy banks. In the distance, he could see Starfire's frantic body swooping back and forth around the spot where Raven had dropped. Beast Boy flew from the car as a hawk towards his friend and then cannon-balled as a shark into the depths of the ocean.

Cyborg watched from the T-Car as he loaded up the computer he had installed. He programmed the system to scan for Raven's physiological signature. He'd pressed the start button, causing a satellite dish to rise from the roof just as Robin skidded to a stop next to him. The R-Cycle fell to the bank in a heap, abandoned by the driver who was running towards the beach with his communicator in hand.

"Starfire, what do you mean she fell?" Robin tried to keep his voice composed but failed, his voice shaking slightly on the word 'fell'.

"I turned around and she was falling."

"She must have said something!" Robin shouted, angered by the lack of control he had in the current situation. Being the only member of the team without supernatural powers had its downfalls and this was one of them: he was restricted to the beach while Beast Boy and Starfire searched the aquatic area around them. They were too far from the shoreline where he stood, meaning swimming out there would be an ill efficient use of his time and energy. Starfire didn't respond to the shouting, her mind focused on the waves below her feet. She raised her fist and held a star bolt in it: a green beacon of light in the darkness to guide Raven and Beast Boy to her.

Minutes passed. The three Titans remained silent, listening for any sign of their teammates. Cyborg was close to punching the computer screen, the silence driving him insane, when finally he heard a beep on his radar.

"Beast Boy's coming up!" he shouted, slamming the car door shut and sprinting to stand next to Robin. Below her, Starfire could see a large shadow. She flew higher just in time: Beast Boy – in the form of a behemoth green whale – breached the water's icy exterior, sending a shock wave of salt water into the air before gravity played her part and pulled it back down where it belonged. He headed straight for the sandy shore where his leader was waiting and opened his mouth. Robin, too intent on seeing Raven to feel disgusted, reached into the mammal's mouth and retrieved his friend from inside. He lay her unconscious body delicately on the sand, reaching for her neck for a pulse.

"How did you find her?" Starfire asked when the whale shrunk into Beast Boy again. He gulped, unable to meet her enlarged eyes.

"I followed the smell of her blood..."


	2. Shootdown

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or anything affiliated with it.

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It was difficult to see with Raven's soaking wet leotard clinging tightly to her paler-than-usual body but when Cyborg rolled her over, the blood-stained sand beneath her confirmed Beast Boy's story. Cyborg cursed.

"Beast Boy, find the wound and cover it: we need to stop her from losing any more blood."

Beast Boy did as he was ordered, his hands moving on autopilot as his mind failed to process the fact that moments ago they had defeated a villain and now they were huddled on the beach with Raven incapacitated. His emerald eyes scanned her body and failed to see any wounds. He had an idea. Hoping Raven wouldn't kill him later, he quickly changed into a panther and used his claws to tear off the top of her ruined leotard and her cloak, leaving the dark girl exposed to the elements. Using his heightened senses, he sniffed her shivering body and found the wound hiding under a layer of blood. It was small, but visible: millimetres away from the right side of her heart. He placed his paws on top of it and pressed down as his body curled next to hers, keeping her warm.

"Great job, B. Don't move a muscle," Cyborg praised while his eyes were on Raven. Beast Boy snorted in reply- prepared to sit there in that position all night if necessary. He could feel her smooth skin shivering next to his and willed his body to transfer more heat to her. Suddenly, she felt still. He roared in anguish – the meaning not lost on Robin.

"Come on, Raven!"

Cursing once more, Cyborg used his in-built scanners on Raven's body. Her heart had stopped. Robin, wasting no time, began to perform CPR on his unconscious friend: his hands pressed into her black bra without hesitation and pumped her heart thirty times before he parted her blue-tinged lips and breathed two oxygen-rich breaths into her unresponsive lungs. Nothing. He went again.

"Cyborg, shouldn't we get Friend Raven back to the tower?" Starfire asked with worry in her voice.

"Not until she's more stable."

Starfire nodded, turning her attention to Robin who was relentlessly compressing her friend's chest, muttering her name under his breath. She offered to take over but the leader refused.

"What can I do to help?" she asked whichever man who was listening. She felt useless- not as skilled as the other three in first aid and survival techniques.

"Conserve your energy. We're gonna need you to fly our girl back to the tower: it's the quickest way." She nodded at Cyborg's order before kneeling in the sand and grabbing Raven's hand, trying to avoid looking at the blood that was slipping from under Beast Boy's paw.

Finally, the four Titans heard a pained gasp exit Raven's mouth. She was breathing. Robin fell back on his heels in relief, allowing himself a short moment to gather his confused thoughts, then returned to leader mode. The looked up to find Beast Boy back to his human form, helping Cyborg wrap a bandage around Raven's chest to help control the bleeding. Beneath their hands, Raven groaned. Through his mask, Robin looked her in the eye for the first time since they'd left the docks- relieved that he could see her violet orbs- or slithers of them.

"You're going to be okay, Raven." All he got back was a quiet, feeble groan as her eyes flicked closed once more. "We need to get her to the tower."

"Starfire's gonna fly her back with Beast Boy. They can get her settled in the infirmary until we get there and complete a full assessment." Robin nodded, unable to think of a better plan.

"Keep your communicators on the entire time," he ordered, looking at the two Titans in question. Starfire and Beast Boy nodded. Starfire treated Raven like glass, cautiously picking her up and getting her comfortable in the crook of her elbows. She pushed off the ground, flinging herself into the air and heading west towards the tower with Beast Boy right behind her. Cyborg and Robin were left standing next to a circle of red sand- a stark contrast to the golden granules they'd normally see.

Cyborg pointed to Robin's communicator, sitting on his resourceful yellow belt, and gestured to mute it. Frowning, he did what Cyborg requested as the half-robot muted his own.

"She was shot, I'm sure of it."

"Shot?"

"Nothing else would explain this much blood," Cyborg explained, his arms pointing down.

"Cyborg, Raven was flying miles out to sea! No one could-"

"I know," he interrupted, trying to keep his voice level and calm. The last thing he needed to do was argue with his leader about this, "but this blood came from her back and Beast Boy was stemming the flow from the front – I've seen enough through and through gunshot wounds in my time, man." Robin tossed the unwelcome scenario around his mind, refusing to believe it. While the idea of Raven being shot wasn't beyond the realms of possibility – the half-demoness had created many enemies for herself as a crime-fighter… they all had – it would take someone highly skilled to shoot her down from where she fell. Robin estimated that the girls were at least a mile away from the shore. Robin was pulled from his whirring thoughts by his teammate's deep voice.

"Don't say anything to Star and B; I wanted to warn you first of what we might find when we get back but I want to see the possible wounds for myself before letting them know. The last thing we need is them worrying over nothing."

Robin nodded once before breaking into a run towards the R-Cycle. Cyborg followed, unlocking his own mode of transportation. Thankful that they were legally allowed to break the speed limit, the men zoomed away from the grassy bank and re-joined the coastal road.

"We're in the infirmary, Dudes. What do you want us to do?" Beast Boy's voiced crackled over the communicator frequency.

Cyborg unmuted his method of contact and explained to his best friend what to do: "Use sterilising pads to clean her up and keep checking her breathing and pulse. We're two minutes away." In the background, he could hear drawers being opened and closed and equipment being wheeled around – a sad reminder that the two youngest Titans had seen in the inside of infirmary too many times if they could set it up from memory.  
"Did anything happen on the way?" Robin enquired, also listening.

"We would have contacted you if it had, man."

"We can see the tower, Beast Boy. Do what you can until we get there."

"Hurry up please. I don't like playing doctor!"

Cyborg and Robin kicked their vehicles up a gear when they approached the underground tunnel which would lead them back to the Titans Tower garage, zooming along the straight road. They parked haphazardly and sprinted up the stairs towards the infirmary on the third floor, their bodies fuelled by the adrenaline pumping through their systems.

When the infirmary door opened, they were greeted with the sight of Raven lying still on the left-hand bed with Starfire next to her, cleaning the dried blood from her torso. Beast Boy was fishing through the cupboards for a fresh medical gown to cover Raven's assets once Starfire was finished. The last thing Raven would want when she woke up was to find her chest on full display. Robin went straight to Raven's bedside, needing to see with his own masked eyes that she was indeed alive and breathing on her own. He smiled at Starfire, who was just finishing her job. Now the Titans' leader could clearly see the small wound – only five millimetres in diameter – just above Raven's heart. The thought of it being any closer to her vital organ made him feel a little light-headed.

"Starfire, help me lift her."

Confused but complying, Starfire pulled Raven's body towards her stomach as Robin pushed her away from him, revealing her back. Pointing to the sterilising solution and supplies next to Starfire, the alien handed them over to Robin as Cyborg (who had just inserted an intravenous drip into Raven's right arm) came to stand next to him, examining her back for what he was looking for as Robin cleaned up the blood. Sure enough, parallel to the position of the wound on her front, Raven's back was punctured and leaking fluid.

Beast Boy sniffed the air and sighed. How could there be more blood? He heard Cyborg shout over for more bandages so he found some before heading back over to the bed. The metallic smell in the air was turning his stomach but he ignored the feeling and handed the half-robot what he requested. The changeling watched as his friends bandaged Raven's back. Once they were done, Beast Boy and Starfire dressed their injured bird in a gown – the bright white material clashing with her grey-tinged skin. Cyborg turned on all the necessary equipment to monitor Raven's vital statistics: blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels and more. Soon, the room was filled with the sound of a steady beeping.

Adrenaline leaving their bodies, the Titans fell back exhausted: Robin and Cyborg into chairs and the other two to the floor. Backs against the wall, they got as comfy as they could. None of them were planning on leaving the room until Raven was at least in a healing trance.

"Well done, y'all," Cyborg said, although he knew they were far from a victory.

"When do you think Friend Raven will wake up?" Starfire asked from her position on the floor.

"Hopefully sooner rather than later," Robin murmured, eying the unconscious girl up and down.

"So, who shot her?"

Everyone's heads swiveled in the direction of who asked the question. Beast Boy stared back at them all, unfazed by their astonished looks.

"How did you-"

"I grew up in the jungles of Cameroon, Dude. I saw enough animals being shot down by poachers as a kid to know what those wounds mean."

"Who would do such a terrible thing to Raven?" Starfire gasped, tears beginning to fill her eyes as the reality of the situation caught up on her. Beast Boy put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side, trying to offer some comfort.

"The question is, who _could_! That takes some skill." They all nodded after hearing the Cyborg's comment.

"A sniper?" Beast Boy offered.

"The girls were at least a mile away from land. Could a sniper hit such a small target from that distance?"

"Are we really entertaining the idea that someone has a hit on our girl?"

"I wouldn't past some of the villain's we've faced, Cyborg." Robin's mind replayed the scene from earlier: while it was a long shot, it was a safe one. A shiver ran down his spine as he tried to put himself in the shoes of a killer- a task he'd done many times when he worked in Gotham- a task that never got easier… Hating to think of Raven in such a manner, he forced himself to put his biased emotions aside and think logically. A gunshot over the ocean wouldn't be as easily noticed as it would in the city and there would be no body to remove: the strength of the Pacific Ocean current would take care of that detail. If Raven had been a civilian whose body had been dumped into the water, he doubted she would be found. Luckily, they had Beast Boy on their team.

"What if Raven wasn't the intended target?" Starfire whispered, a tear falling down her cheek at the selfish thought of it being her in the bed instead of Raven. Beast Boy rubbed her arm.

"Don't think like that," the green teenager whispered.

The Titans sat in silence – other than the sound of the heart monitor – each reflecting on that evening and what they could have done differently… what they failed to notice…

"Who's hungry?" Cyborg pierced the silence, moving from his chair and heading to the door. The rest shook their heads, thinking of nothing they'd like to do less than eat when their stomachs were consumed with worry for their friend. Honestly, Cyborg wasn't hungry either; he just needed an excuse to leave the room. The negative emotions surrounding the girl he treated like an adopted younger sibling threatened to suffocate him. He left, promising to return soon, leaving Starfire, Beast Boy and Robin alone.

Starfire left Beast Boy's half embrace, choosing to sit in the vacated chair opposite Robin. Their leader was tense. They all were. But past experience had taught Starfire that Robin would obsess over this and harness guilt about Raven's condition – despite him not being at fault.

"There is nothing more you could have done, Robin. Friend Raven will start healing soon and then we can get her side of the story."

If Robin was listening to Starfire, he wasn't showing it. His eyes were narrowed in thought and focused on Raven's limp body.

"What are you thinking Robin? Let us in."

At Starfire's request, Robin spoke but his face stayed stuck on Raven. "If Raven was targeted, which I'm guessing she was based on the wound being so close to her heart, whoever did this must have known where we were."

"Not hard to know, Rob. Plasmus and the wail of police sirens is a sure giveaway."

"But the docks is an isolated area."

"There was still enough commotion going on to get someone's attention, Star."

Starfire was struck by a sudden memory: Raven had sensed something after the fight. She reminded her teammates of this. This ignited Robin's memory of the sound he'd heard before leaving – that instinctive ill-feeling that had grabbed his attention.

"In the morning, we'll head back over to the docks. That's the only lead we've got for now."

When Cyborg returned a few minutes later carrying a jug of water and some glasses, Robin relayed their conversation to him. The oldest member of the team forced them all to drink and suggested they all go and get some sleep while he watched Raven. His words fell on futile ears.

"Y'all are no use to Rae if you're sleep-deprived. There's nothing more we can do until she wakes up and her vitals are stable. Get your asses to bed and I'll call you if anything changes." Knowing- but not liking- the fact that Cyborg was right, Starfire agreed to try to sleep but secretly understood it would be a difficult task. Beast Boy looked at the clock before agreeing: one a.m. It had been four hours since the alarm sounded. Yawning as he stood, using the wall for support, Beast Boy gave Raven one last look before leaving. Robin stayed in his chair, staring at the bed. He reached forward and caressed her hand as he tried to ignore the glare Cyborg was sending in his direction.

"That suggestion was aimed at you too, Bird Brain."

Robin rubbed his forehead, trying to fight off the physical and mental exhaustion he was experiencing. "Are you sure she's stable?" Cyborg nodded in reply, stating that he was as satisfied with Raven's condition as he could be until she began healing.

As Robin reached the threshold, a voice stopped him in his tracks. "Sleep means sleep Robin – not researching possible leads."

The infirmary door closed.

 _Meanwhile…_

He quietly pushed the door closed behind him and locked it by sliding the various bolts into place, careful not to make any unnecessary noise. He removed his black vest, his fingers caressing his toned torso as he did so and threw it into the corner. Rummaging through his equipment, he found what he desired hidden in a compartment at the bottom of his bag. He crossed the small room to his laptop and powered it up. Once logged in, he slid the memory card into the slot and waited patiently for it to register. Before it could, however, something in his pocket vibrated.

"Did you accomplish the task?"

"I caught myself a black bird, yes."

"You didn't answer my question."

The intimidating voice on the other end of the phone had little effect on the recipient of the call, who let loose a small laugh.

"I just did."

He terminated the call and returned the device to his pocket, smiling as photographs filled his fifteen inch screen…


	3. Rundown

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or anything affiliated with it.

* * *

That night, none of the Titans got a decent sleep: a few restless hours perhaps but, even during those times where their brains slipped into REM sleep, their dreams were infected with thoughts of Raven.

Cyborg had stayed in the infirmary all night, keeping himself occupied with gaming and motor magazines while his friend slept soundly. He'd had to change her bandages a couple of times but the bleeding eventually slowed and by the time the remaining Titans had woken up, she'd entered a healing trance. Her body floated a few inches above the bed, rigid, her face pulled into a pained expression as her mind offered her damaged body relief.

Cyborg found Robin in the gym, taking his stress and frustration out on an innocent punching bag. The older teen watched his leader for a few minutes, impressed by his physical technique, before revealing himself. "You look like crap," he said, picking up the towel from the bench next to him and tossing it over to Robin who grabbed it without an issue, wiping copious amounts of sweat from his face.

Robin allowed himself a laugh, "So do you," he said as he took in the deeply engrained bags under his tired brown eyes. If he removed his mask, Cyborg would see the same thing. "How is she?"

"She's finally healing herself. I'm predicting she'll be down longer than normal because of the internal damage the bullet caused, but you know Rae, she'll pull through." Smiling, Robin headed towards the gym's treadmills with Cyborg close behind. "How are we gonna proceed with this?"

"Beast Boy and I are gonna head over to the docks in an hour. Whoever aimed at Raven needed to know where we were yesterday: maybe it'll lead somewhere…"

"I assume you want me and Star to stay here and monitor her?" Robin nodded, powering up the treadmill to ten kilometres an hour. "When she wakes up, you know she'll want to help."

Robin smirked. Damn right she would! Raven, admittedly the most loyal woman he had even had the pleasure of befriending was also the most stubborn. But he wasn't going to let her. Daughter of Trigon or not… potentially one of the most powerful people currently inhabiting the planet… even Raven had to admit defeat sometime. "That's why you're going to keep her in the infirmary- tell her it's for her own safety."

The half-robot grunted, "Like that'll stop her."

Cyborg decided to join him, standing on the treadmill next to Robin and easily meeting his pace. The machines in the infirmary were linked to his hardware so he wasn't concerned about Raven being left alone: He'd put good money on Starfire being down there with her soon, anyway. The men grew competitive, each controlling their treadmills to go faster for a good twenty minutes, venting their frustrations in a healthy way. They only stopped when Robin's communicator beeped. Opening the device, he saw Beast Boy's disheveled yet determined face.

"Ready to head out when you are, Rob- just gonna pop down to see Rae first." Robin replied that he'd meet him on the roof in ten minutes. Turning off the treadmills, the friends did a quick stretch before slapping each others shoulders in a brotherly gesture and leaving the gym, one going to freshen up and the other going back to his rightful place in the infirmary.

Beast Boy was already in there looking worse for wear: his hair sticking up on end and his own collection of eye bags showing just how little sleep he'd got. He jumped when he heard the door slide open, unaware that Cyborg would be coming back. He greeted his older friend, then refocused on Raven once more.

"So, you and Robin are investigating the docks?"

"Yeah, Dude. He said that because I retrieved her body that I might be able to pick up on the smell of whoever did this. It's worth a shot I guess…" Cyborg gave him an unamused look, making Beast Boy realise what he'd accidentally said, "Pun unintended." Cyborg lowered his guard again, smirking at the unintentional humour. "I was just down here sniffing her clothes so I'd have something to go by."

"Six years living together and you don't know what we all smell like?" Cyborg laughed, "And don't say stuff like that… make's you sound like some kinda stalker."

"Dude, don't be gross! I feel weird enough doing it!" He was interrupted by a message from Robin. "I better go," the changeling said, running from the room, shouting down the corridor as an afterthought, "Take care of her!"

Cyborg didn't need telling twice.

Robin and Beast Boy arrived at the docks after a short flight; Robin being carried uncomfortably in the claws of a green pterodactyl. Instincts guiding him, Robin pointed to the abandoned building he'd rested his bike against the evening before. Beast Boy gently dropped him by the boarded-up entrance and turned back into a human. Seeing a questioning look in his teammates green eyes, Robin explained. "I heard a noise here yesterday, after everyone had gone. It was just before Raven sensed something strange."

"Gotcha," Beast Boy replied, morphing into a Basset hound and sniffing the area around the door: salty sea air; marijuana; rubbish from a nearby bin; sweat… nothing concrete. He continued around to the back of the building. Still nothing. "Where did the noise come from?" he asked, temporarily transforming back. Robin cast his mind back, remembering looking up.

"The roof," he said, eyes narrowing behind his mask. He round-kicked the back entrance, the rusty door easily falling off its hinges. Scattered around their feet were used needles. Robin made a mental note to inform the police that this building was being used by junkies- drugs being a problem in Jump City. Careful not to step on any (although with their steel-toed boots it wasn't an issue) the two navigated their way around the dark room, finding nothing out of the ordinary, before heading up to the roof via a metal ladder, which had some rungs missing.

The sea air from the dock was a welcome relief, once they reached the top, from the miserable smell inside. Taking to his Basset form again, Beast Boy sniffed along the edge of the roof. Robin left his friend to it, investigating around himself. He walked over to the edge above where his bike had been: where he'd heard the noise. Using the cognitive skills he'd overdeveloped while training with Batman, he put himself back in that moment… What did it sound like? It sounded like… a gum wrapper?

Kneeling on the dirty concrete floor, he shoved some dust and cobwebs away (thankful to have gloves on) until he found what he was looking for: a gum wrapper. Maybe nothing- maybe everything, Robin stored the used piece of plastic in his utility belt before walking over to Beast Boy, who was eagerly sniffing around the same spot: the south-east corner of the building. "Smell anything?" When asked the question, Beast Boy transformed back to explain what he'd found.

"I've picked up a faint scent- the smell of the bullet," he said in a deep voice- the most serious Robin had seen him for a long time. "Whoever shot must have been here. You can see the ocean so he would've had a clear shot." Beast Boy shivered talking about Raven in such a morbid manner. Robin nodded, looking out on the horizon.

"A long one, but you're right."

"The nose never lies, bro!"

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

Another day, another bowl of cereal. While scooping overflowing spoonfuls of the sugary substance into his mouth, he scrolled through the photographs from yesterday. She was beautiful- that was for sure… enchanting even. 'No wonder they want her,' he thought, admiring a snapshot of the battle with… Plasmus… is that what they called that disgusting creature? He'd taken the photo at the perfect moment: ebony energy crackled around her hands as she expelled it through the net and into Plasmus' head. 'Mind control… levitation… beauty… fierceness…'

Beep… beep… beep…

Shit. Fast as lightning, he minimised the photograph and opened a new tab, typing the access codes that would link him to the camera systems. He saw two of them there, investigating. From the determined look on their faces, he knew they were sleep-deprived but certainly not mourning the loss of their friend. 'Shit, shit, shit!' The moment he realised he'd failed, his phone vibrated.

He answered, prepared for the shouting. Worse, the voice whispered, "Get it done." Then hung up.

Sighing, he abandoned his cereal and stared at the monitor, planning his next move. However, he noticed something on the roof, his face breaking out in an evil grin at what he saw…

* * *

"What shall we do now, oh fearless leader?" Robin glared at the younger Titan. He looked around once more, annoyed that they hadn't discovered more but knowing that they likely wouldn't find much else.

"We can't do much more until Raven wakes up and gives her testimony."

"Why not ask me now?"

The men gasped. Behind them, a swirling portal of black energy had appeared and through it stepped the newly-healed Titan. She landed unsteadily on her feet, still weak from using so much of her energy. 'Well, Cyborg was wrong,' thought Robin. They wanted to hug her, relieved that she was awake but both of them were overwhelmed by a more negative emotion. Robin went straight over to her, his face plastered with a disapproving frown. "What are you doing here?" he asked, grabbing her arm.

"You were literally just shot out of the sky like a little birdie!" Beast Boy exclaimed before realising some of them were absent. "Where are the others?"

"Probably following me here as we speak," she said, glaring back at the two, who knew her well enough now not to cower at the look she was giving them; they had grown immune to her tough exterior long ago. She turned to Robin, who still looked agitated at her standing there, "I'm fine. Did you really think I was going to stay cooped up in the tower when someone tried to kill me?"

"Yes," both boys answered at the same time.

"You know me better than that." She was right, and she knew they knew it.

Sighing, Robin rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. He knew the sorceress could handle herself but he hated the thought of her being out in the open, having just been shot at for God's sake. He took a deep breath, before putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad you're alright. I was worried… we all were."

"Whoever it was missed my heart by an inch. There was less to heal." She said it so matter-of-factly that Robin didn't know whether to feel worried by her cold reaction. Raven sensed this clash of emotions through their bond and sent positive vibes through it, trying to calm her leader. "For the last time, I'm fine and I want to help find this son-of-a-bitch."

Knowing she wouldn't back down, he nodded. Beast Boy was less accepting of this, hating the idea of a weakened Raven working so soon after such a serious injury. He made his feelings clear: without another word, turning into a crow and flying off the roof, through one of the many broken windows to search again inside. The two remaining birds looked at each other.

"He's just scared. He's the one who rescued you from the ocean so he's taking all this a bit harder." Raven knew Robin was right, but couldn't let her disappointment get in the way of their investigation.

"Find anything?" she asked, listening to Robin explain that they'd tracked the scent of the bullet and determined that whoever did this had followed them here yesterday. Rationally, she knew she should have been frustrated that their search hadn't produced much, but Raven was actually impressed: this person was obviously highly-skilled to leave no evidence.

"Yesterday, you said you sensed something strange. Care to elaborate?"

* * *

Interested, he listened to her explanation through an old pair of headphones, pleased that his presence on the roof last night went mostly unnoticed. It confirmed that he could continue to follow her, incognito, until he'd done the job he'd been assigned. That is, if the next trick up his sleeve failed…

* * *

Raven told Robin that, after the battle, her empathic senses picked up on something with ulterior motives but it was just a spike in emotion, nothing she could put her metaphorical finger on. Assuredly, she confirmed that it came from their general direction- they could leave the docks feeling that they'd established the shooters location, if nothing else.

Their communicators started to buzz. Expecting it to be Cyborg or Starfire warning him that Raven was on her way, he answered, prepared to tell the two Titans that they were too late. Instead he saw Beast Boy's face, urgently ushering them both inside to see what he'd found. Raven enveloped Robin in her magic and teleported them through the concrete and wooden ceilings to the second floor of the warehouse where Beast Boy was waiting for them, gazing around, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Dudes, do you hear that noise?"


	4. Meltdown

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or anything affiliated with it.

* * *

Her ears rung; her heart raced; her limbs tingled. She felt like her mind had been ripped from her body- the same body that sprawled on the floor of the warehouse, throbbing with pain. She wanted to stand but her nerves were betraying her, leaving her lying on the floor, surrounded by smoke and fire. What happened? She tried to open her eyes but they stung with smoke, closing again on reflex. Coughing to expel the unwanted smoke from her lungs, she willed her body to roll over… to move in any capacity.

"Friend Raven!"

She'd never been so relieved to hear that high-pitched, foreign voice. With no control, she felt herself being turned from her stomach to her back. Now she could see the hole in the ceiling, the smoke billowing out into Jump City's summer sky. She remembered… the ticking sound… Robin shouting to run… pain.

She held out her hand and Starfire helped her to her feet, keeping an arm around her waist to steady her. 'This has been a shitty twenty-four hours!' "Where are the others?" she murmured, carefully looking around the room despite the smoke disrupting her vision. In the distance she could make out some figures moving.

"Do not worry, Cyborg is assisting them. We need to get outside." Starfire picked Raven up, who was too concerned about her friends to complain, and flew her outside, leaning her delicately against the wall of the building opposite the now burning one. She asked what happened… or at least Raven thought she did: her ears were still ringing from the explosion. Starfire was looking at her with worry etched on her face, then she focused on the building.

"I am going to help inside. Do not go anywhere." With that, the alien flew off. 'As if I have a choice!' Raven thought, trying to relax and begin healing her body for the second time that day. It was an impossible task though with the blazing heat warming her face and her focus constantly turning to the entrance where her friends would (hopefully) appear through any second now.

Just as her mind had settled enough to start, she saw Cyborg and Starfire running towards her with the battered looking pair. Beast Boy and Robin both had rips in their clothing and dishevelled hair to compliment their dust-stained faces and scratched arms but, as far as she could tell, they were both okay. She could breathe again.

Cyborg kneeled in front of her, pressing a hand down on her shoulder. "Girl, you must have really pissed someone off!"

* * *

The sound… it was spectacular! So loud and dramatic! He couldn't help but smile as he watched the leader's face. He was the tactical one all right. That moment when he realised what the ticking was… but he was too late… the horror in his expression; he wished he could have peeled the black and white mask from his face and see the look in his eyes.

The police would think nothing of the explosion: probably some junkies abusing their drugs and being too high to realise they caused an accident. When they discovered who the three bodies really were, they'd assume they were following up their investigation from yesterday and record their deaths as accidental. It was brilliant. He was brilliant.

Wait… isn't that the… and… fuck! He'd had to switch to different cameras as the ones inside the warehouse had perished in the explosion and he now had a clear view of the outside, and the robot freak being carried by the enthusiastic alien girl. Hopefully they were too late and he'd have the pleasure of seeing their suffering and sorrow at the sudden death of three fifths of their team. But, at the back of his mind, he had a nagging, persistent feeling that they'd be saved.

* * *

Too weak to teleport and fly, Cyborg remotely ordered the T-Car to auto-drive to their location so he could take them all home to the tower. This day was turning into a disaster: first the shooting… now the warehouse explosion! He knew it was too coincidental to be an accident. Someone was after Raven. In the rear view mirror, he caught sight of her. He could tell she was hurting as she hid under the folds of her cloak (which was now ripped and scorched at the ends) but she was never going to admit it, the steely resolve she'd grown up with shining in her violet eyes.

They drove home in silence, Cyborg having already explained that he and Starfire were on their way to reprimand Raven for leaving when they'd seen the building go up in flames from their position in the sky. No one spoke again until they were sitting on the common room sofa. Robin, Raven and Beast Boy all fell into it, the softness of the padded cushions giving their aching muscles and joints sweet relief. Starfire flew to get the first aid kit from the infirmary while Cyborg turned on the TV to see if the warehouse explosion was on the news. It was: every news channel in fact. Luckily, they'd driven away before any reporters could get there and question them.

"They knew we were coming back." Everyone turned to Beast Boy, who wasn't looking at any of them, "They must have known. That ticking definitely wasn't there when we first arrived, dude."

Cyborg agreed, "Y'all must have been on to somethin' if they went to the extreme of detonating a building."

"He's smart, I'll give him that but he won't get the better of us!" Robin said, although the tone of his voice didn't match the confidence his statement demanded.

"Or she," Cyborg added, "Or them. We have nothing to go on."

"That's not true: we know they really want to kill me and will happily take the rest of you down as collateral damage." The men frowned at Raven, unhappy at how blasé she was acting, as if being hunted down was a regular thing to do to a human being.

"You could take this seriously, Raven!"

"Trust me, I am," she glared at Robin, "We know this person… these people… are ruthless, confident, skilled, smart… all the characteristics you need to pull off a sniper shooting and bomb planting. If we find out who possesses all of those qualities, we have a starting point." Silence followed as the boys pondered her point, in awe of the fact she was keeping a level head. Starfire flew back in, her hands filled with antiseptic and plasters. She handed the items to Cyborg, who got to work cleaning and protecting the injured Titans' wounds.

"We could be looking for anyone from an overweight sociopath hiding in his mother's basement to a member of the damn Justice League!" Robin grimaced, frustrated at the severity of the situation his team was facing and the lack of direction they had to follow.

"Anyone stupid enough to take down a Teen Titan ain't gonna be easy to find, y'all."

"Then it's a good thing I enjoy the chase," Raven smirked, rubbing a saline solution onto a cut on her left leg. Having being raised in Azarath, knowing she was hated by the majority of the citizens who knew of her demon heritage and prophecy to destroy their dimension and many others, Raven had developed a strong resilience to emotional turmoil, choosing to act strong instead of facing reality. Facing danger and evil everyday was part of their job so she wasn't afraid of death. Hell, she'd sacrificed herself for her 'father' already. Death is easy; living is the hard part. It was more difficult to process that she was possibly being targeted- although the past few hours had made that clear. Starfire could have just as easily been shot out of the air; but she wasn't. The warehouse could have blown up before she'd arrived; but it didn't. It was even more difficult to process that her friends- her family- could get hurt because of her.

Unfortunately, the team- specifically Robin- could see straight through her tough outer shell. It was taking every ounce of his willpower not to shout at her and make matters worse.

"You're not chasin' anything, Rae."

"Agreed, Friend. It is obvious that someone is after you."

"And until we know who, you should stay here."

"I'm not hiding away like a child. I can fight my own battles."

"We know you can but it doesn't mean you should!" Beast Boy said, sitting up to face the demoness now his body was feeling more rested and throwing his arms around to emphasise how stupid she was being. "If it was me, Rae- if you'd seen me get shot and blown up, what would you say if I wanted to fight?" That shut her up. "Exactly. Now stop being the stubborn bitch you can be and accept that you need to lay low!"

"I can't just sit back and watch you all do the job I should be doing," she forced out, refusing to meet Beast Boy's angered eyes. "I know you're all concerned, and I appreciate it- really, but I'm not some fragile porcelain doll that will break if touched. If someone's got a vendetta against me then I deserve to look them in the eye and find out why- if that is even what's happening!" She looked to the others for back-up, for some indication that she wasn't wrong in her thinking, "It's not like we haven't handled shootings and explosions in the past."

"You weren't a fucking target then!" Beast Boy shouted, standing up now and towering over Raven, who remained seated and composed. "Do you not value your life at all? Do you not care about how we feel about this screwed-up situation?"

Cyborg chose this time to intervene, seeing how heated the discussion between the two Titans was getting. "Look, we're all tired and stressed. You-" he pointed at Beast Boy, "- need to stop shouting; it's not going to make things any easier if you two start arguing. And you-" he pointed to Raven- "need to stop acting like this isn't bothering you. We all know it is, and if it isn't yet then it will do eventually. We need to work together to find out who's behind this, not fight."

Beast Boy, not taking his eyes off Raven, sat back down in his space next to Robin. Raven put her hood over her head and rose off the sofa to make herself her favourite camomile tea. Cyborg accepted their compliance as their apology to each other and turned to address Robin.

"I'm going to go and do some research on some of the bomb fragment I found in the warehouse. I'll contact you if I find anything useful." He left without another word, the common room door sliding closed behind him as he headed to his room. An awkward silence fell over the room. It became too uncomfortable for Starfire, who excused herself to go and shower. Beast Boy followed, muttering something about the gym.

"What is his problem?" she sighed quietly as the kettle whistled, the water boiled ready to saturate the tea leaves in her empty mug.

'He cares about you,' Robin thought, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. He didn't voice his answer aloud, as he was sure he wasn't meant to hear the question in the first place.

"Do you think I'm being unreasonable?"

Robin wasn't sure if he'd actually heard that question at first- it was rare for Raven to open up to anyone, let alone about any self-doubts she was having.

"Honestly?" Robin asked the dark bird as she retook her seat to his right, a mug of sweet-smelling tea in her pale hands. She nodded, expecting nothing less from him. "No, I don't. I know if it was me in your place I'd stop at nothing to find out who was terrorising me." Raven visibly relaxed, her shoulders dropping ever so slightly, at his response- pleased to have his approval. "But as your friend, yes, you are being unreasonable and completely disregarding your personal safety. You shouldn't have come to the warehouse until we knew more about what we are dealing with."

She sighed, taking a long sip from her mug. "You can't keep me caged up, Robin."

"Nice metaphor," he smirked, "And you're right, I can't. All I can do is advise you not to do anything stupid!"

Robin had come a long way as leader over the years. He still remembered their first battle as a team, not including the time when they first met and saved Starfire from the Gordanians. He had been very controlling, demanding everything from them- including their respect. He realised soon later than respect was earned. He'd made many mistakes as leader of the Teen Titans: going undercover as Red-X; recruiting Terra; driving himself crazy with his Slade obsession; not protecting Raven from the former villain when he resurrected; but Beast Boy, Starfire, Raven and Cyborg had all stuck by him and supported him through his transition from a sidekick in Gotham to a leader in Jump. He was honoured to lead his friends. The old Robin would have locked Raven in the 'safe room' where she'd stayed during her visions from Trigon, but today's Robin couldn't allow his concern for his friend to ruin their relationship.

"What constitutes 'stupid'?" she asked, continuing to sip her tea.

"Going out on your own... sneaking off to investigate on your own… pushing everyone who loves you away…"

"Sounds like everything you've done in the past," she said quietly, knowing she was treading on rocky ground. "And give me some credit, please."

"I have never underestimated you since the first day I met you," Robin said seriously, looking Raven in the eye to emphasise how highly he thought of her, as a friend and as a teammate, "All I ask is that you learn from my mistakes. I know you: I know you don't like involving other people in your problems but you have no choice."

She really didn't- not with four friends who were as stubborn and protective of her as she was of them.

* * *

It was all over the news. The bomb he'd created had certainly served its purpose: the docks were in ruins. No boats were able to dock due to the overwhelming number of public service vehicles occupying the small area. On his screen, he could see Jump City's finest fire-fighters tackling the blaze that refused to burn out. But he wasn't interested in them; he was interested in whether or not the heroes had found their friends. No mention of them had been on the news and if they had escaped then they'd gone to a place away from the view of his cameras.

The more he saw of these Titans, the more he realised he had underestimated them. While he had been required to research Raven as part of his assignment – a key aspect of his work – he'd not wasted as much time on the other four. He knew some basics: their names, their supernatural abilities but not much else. In order to get close to Raven, he would have to learn more about them. After all, why would a demon need to make friends, if not for her own needs?

Vibrating, his phone rang in his pocket. The same number.

"Very impressive explosion," the voice said darkly. He knew not to take it as a compliment. "It's a shame you had to use that detonation device though as it shows you aren't as competent a shooter as you're recommended to be!" With every word that left the caller's mouth, more venom was put behind them.

"A minor setback. I'll rectify it, don't worry," he assured. In his line of work, where powerful people were in charge, he knew to sound confident.

"Of course you will- if you want paying," the voice snarled. "You promised me a dead bird. So far I have a pile of debris and a migraine."

"Have you tried Aleve? It always worked for my Dad."

"I want her gone by the end of the week: that's an extra four days."

"How generous of you!" he said sarcastically, hanging up and throwing the phone onto his bed in the corner of the room. The screenshots of her distracted him, his finger stroking the pixellated portal beneath her feet.

'It's such a shame I have to kill something so beautiful…'


	5. Lowdown

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or anything affiliated with it.

* * *

That night, Raven was in her room meditating- trying her best to keep calm and centered. Her body still ached from the incident earlier that day and now her mind was aching from the emotional roller-coaster she and the others were on. Through her bedroom wall, she could sense the anger coming from across and down the hall: Beast Boy's room. She was ignoring it as best she could, but after thirty minutes of constant negative energy ruining her meditation, Raven finally gave in and decided to talk to the changeling. She couldn't deny she was anxious: it wasn't unusual for the two of them to argue as a result of their clashing personalities and levels of patience but she'd never got such strong readings from him after an argument.

Knocking on the door, she felt that he was surprised by the intrusion. His footsteps could be heard traveling the radius of the room and unlocking the door. As it opened, she was pushed back by the hatred exuding from Beast Boy. Thankfully, his eyes softened long enough to grab her arm and keep her upright before scowling at her once more. He turned around and went back into his room but left the door open: an invitation for her to enter.

She'd been in his room before so was used to the mess and the smell but in all their years as friends, Raven had never seen it in such ruins. He'd completely trashed the place. The metal slats from his bunk bed were bent out of shape; the carpet and walls were slashed with scratches; his casual clothing was ripped to shreds. Now she knew why she'd felt such strong emotions.

Knowing best to keep her distance when Beast Boy was in a mood like this, she leaned against the wall near the door to show she wasn't a threat. She could sense his animal instincts were on high alert despite his human form. The last thing she wanted to do was to accidentally aggravate him and make him do something he'd regret later.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

* * *

"I've told you- I need to know more about their team dynamic if I'm going to take her down."

"I assumed you'd collected enough information about them from their battles to be able to do your job."

He sighed, keeping his phone tucked between his chin and shoulder so he could rub his eyes, tiredness taking over from repeating himself and from having his capabilities questioned.

"I have- about her! Not about the rest of them. I need to access their security system if you want the job doing faster. Simple as that." Good, he sounded authoritative.

"I don't have the clearance for that."

"Like fuck you don't!" he cursed, slamming his fist against his desk- nearly spilling his drink. "I know you can hack the tower mainframe and the cameras. I just need access to the feed."

"It could make them aware of our presence; I can't risk the secrecy of this operation on the fact that you can't handle a basic assignment. You're expendable, need I remind you," the voice hinted, cold and calculated as it had always been during their short transactions.

"Obviously not expendable enough for you to do the dirty work yourself!" He knew he had them there, the silence making it clear. "Get me into that tower, or find yourself another sniper." He hung up. Taking a deep breath and counting to ten, he started to pace around the room. His hazel eyes never left the laptop screen. Twenty minutes later, the screen changed from his usual screensaver to a flickering image of an unoccupied corridor. He immediately sat down and began playing around with the unfamiliar system, trying to find a camera showing any Titan. He found one: a camera parallel to one of the bedrooms, and luckily, the door was wide open…

* * *

"Talk about what?" he growled.

"The fact that you're clearly losing control, Beast Boy. I just want to help," she said softly, stepping away from the wall. "Look at this place," she gestured to the mess all around her feet. "I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now-"

"And what makes you think that?" he asked, leaving his position on the bottom bunk and striding towards her. Raven stood her ground, not one to show weakness. This was Beast Boy: he could be volatile (in his 'Beast' form) but she had no reason to be afraid of him.

"I can literally feel the hatred pouring off of you," she answered. "I'm an empath, remember."

He took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his hands in frustration. He could hide nothing from her- he'd never been able to.

"Well don't flatter yourself and think it's towards you," he spat, "I'm just stressed from nearly dying in an explosion!"

"Well then talk to me," Raven urged, her hand reaching towards one of his clenched fists only for it to be pulled away from her. "I'm in the same boat you are."

"No, you're not!" he shouted. "Robin and I could have died today because someone wants _your_ head on a silver platter. _You_ -" he stressed, "-could have died today! But you think it's ok to play tough-little-birdie when you have a choice. We don't have any choice in this!"

"You-" she began, but was interrupted by him grabbing both her upper arms in his clawed hands, his nails unintentionally digging into her soft flesh.

"Our job is to protect this city and more importantly each other, Raven! It just pisses me off that you don't make things any easier for us."

"I haven't done anything," she pointed out, keeping her voice and demeanour collected.

He snorted, pressing harder against her skin, "You will; its you."

"Get your hands off me!" she demanded, "Before I make you." Beast Boy removed his hands and clapped them slowly.

"And the winner for best performing actress goes to…" he mocked sarcastically, "Raven! For her starring role in 'Ice Queen'. Just for once, show some God-damned humility- show some actual emotion!" he shook her, as if shaking the sense into her he knew she was missing.

"You know I can't," she said monotonously, emphasising his point further. She watched as he laughed in her face, hurt at how he was treating her. He knew about her ritualised, isolated upbringing in Azarath and that she was just as fragile- if not more- than he was yet he chose to hit her with these low blows about childhood issues that were out of her control. She snapped. Beast Boy's eyes widened as her hands enveloped in her magic and threw him into his bed, further denting it. Wincing, he opened his eyes to find the infuriated girl floating a couple of metres away from him. Were those… tears in her eyes?

"You have no right to talk to me like that when you're just as bad as me!" Any trace of the tears he thought he saw were gone. "I hide behind indifference while you cower behind humour… there's no difference between us, except I don't take my mood out on those I love- unlike you. So who's more of an ice queen, Garfield?

She landed on his bedroom carpet and walked away from the changeling who followed her with his glazed green eyes as she exited the room and disappeared out of sight. It took him mere seconds to realise that he had to apologise. He jumped up and ran out of his room, shouting her name up the corridor. She was gone. He went up to her door and knocked, hoping she'd respond but he received no answer.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

It was like a reality TV show: he couldn't take his eyes off it! Unfortunately, the camera feed had no sound but it was easy enough to work out what had happened from their body language and the fact that the dark bird had used her powers against the green one: he was mad at her, then she was mad at him so she left; the animorph didn't see her teleport through the ceiling after she'd left his room. He did. This was his chance. Cautiously, he checked all the other cameras to see where the other Titans were presently. The robot hybrid was in the common room on the computer but everywhere else was empty. They must have been in their rooms: perfect!

* * *

Robin was in his room, balancing on a thin foam mat to stretch out his muscles. Exercise relaxed him and benefited his aching body. He'd been sitting on his computer ever since his conversation with Raven, researching what he could about that warehouse and sniper rifles: the only weapon capable of shooting a bullet the distance it had when it hit his teammate. He'd just finished reading about the M24 weapons system, educating himself on the features and range capabilities, when his leg cramped up.

While the other Titans believed him to be obsessive and uptight when it came to personal grudges, Robin learned long ago after his antics when Slade was a threat that he was no use to the team if he was as mentally unstable and stressed as he was then. Like he'd told Raven- all we can do is learn from our mistakes. So he welcomed the distraction of lactic acid build up and used the time to develop his Tai Chi.

"Robin, come in: I found out somethin' man, somethin' bad..."

Hearing Cyborg's worried tone of voice, deeper than his normal one, Robin grabbed the communicator from his belt and flipped it open, revealing the half-robot's concerned face. Robin locked his computer before running from his abode to the common room where he found Cyborg sat before the Titans mainframe computer. The screen flashed with a warning sign.

"I don't like the look of that," the leader commented, pointing to the screen. Cyborg ignored him, cutting straight to his findings as Robin stood next to his chair.

"I scanned the bomb fragment; it was made up of C293P: a rare chemical compound unavailable to the general public but I discovered that it's used in U.S. military weaponry – courtesy of my contact at S.T.A.R. Labs."

"So whoever made that bomb works in the military," Robin concluded, "Or used to."

"It's a safe bet; it fits with the whole sniper theory we got goin'. My man in the lab said that its dangerous stuff so only a few branches of the military can get their hands on it- he was shocked that I had some, bro. Apparently it disintegrates at point of detonation leaving no trace of the bomb at all."

"So, why is this flashing at us?" Robin inquired, his arm reaching up to the mainframe display.

"I hacked into the government military database to dig a little deeper about C293P and found some deep undercover stuff."

"Cyborg! We could be disbanded for that!" Robin hissed, annoyed that his second-in-command had violated such strict procedures. "If the Justice League find out-"

"They won't, Rob: this is me you're talkin' to!" he reassured before muttering, "Like we're the only heroes in the world who have bent the rules..."

Sighing, Robin- being the detective he was- couldn't help but feel intrigued, no matter how much he disapproved of his colleagues methods. "What did you find out?"

Cyborg typed away at the keys until a folder appeared with the name above it displaying its name in dangerous red letters: Operation Inferno. The mysterious name was enough to keep Robin fascinated; Wayne's prodigy needed to know what information the suspicious folder held. Without hesitation, Cyborg deciphered the encrypted file using the same passwords he had moments before and revealed the information to Robin. His eyes widened.

On the screen, photos of Raven appeared… photos from over their six years as Titans. One showed her during their first mission; another of her on the night she captured (and mentally scarred) Doctor Light; many were of her and Slade- her body burned with runes from Trigon back when she had just turned eighteen. The most worrying was a photo from their fight with Plasmus… yesterday.

"What the hell?" Robin marveled, his eyes scrolling to take in every image. Occasionally another of them featured in a photograph but was clear who the main focus of the lens was. It was disturbing looking back at such a young-looking Raven- made clearer how much she'd changed into the graceful young woman she was today.

"I can't find out exactly which government area this file belongs to, but my guess it's one we're not meant to know about… either way, they've been keeping tabs on our girl for years. Some of these photos are from when she was fourteen- I even found one from before she was a Titan."

"Can you extract any information other than photos and the name of the operation?" Robin asked, his tone of voice clearly showing how aggravated he was by the news that one of his team was being watched.

"I can try but it'll take some time- it was hard enough to hack into this information!"

"I don't care how long it takes. I want to know what they have on Raven."

"You got it, man. Go back to chillin' and leave it with me," Cyborg used the verb loosely, knowing Robin wouldn't be 'chillin'' during this threatening time.

Robin nodded, stepping away but then stopping as he had a thought. "We'll tell Raven about the C293P tomorrow but don't tell her about Operation Inferno- or Star and BB- not until you know more. It'll just freak them all out and we're stressed out enough as it is." He saw the back of Cyborg's head nod in agreement and took that as his moment to leave, listening to the tapping of the keyboard keys as he left the common room.

 _'There's not enough Tai Chi in the world!'_

* * *

She was on the roof, just as he'd predicted she would be. After all, what bird liked being cooped up when agitated? She was mediating, relying on the peaceful nighttime atmosphere to relax as she levitated near the edge. Through the scarlet cross-hairs of his rifle, he focused on her heart, taking a moment to admire the round breast which rested above it. Concentrating, he readied his finger to pull the trigger.

He fired. He waited. He watched her body fall backwards and not get back up again.


	6. Lockdown

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or anything affiliated with it.

* * *

The sun rose over Jump City, illuminating the skyscrapers and breeze-blown trees. The welcoming rays roused Robin from his sleep as they did everyday: a routine he admired. Like always, he got out of bed full of energy and ready to commence the day, starting with watching the horizon for ten minutes and gathering his thoughts.

He ascended the stairs rather than take the lift and pushed open the door to the rooftop, breathing in his first breath of fresh air of the Thursday morning. Thursday was training day- something he was more enthusiastic about than some of this teammates. Striding into the open air, he froze. She was just lying there, her limbs sprawled on the concrete, tangled in her cloak. His breath hitched in his throat, panic rising in his chest.

"Raven!"

He sprinted towards her but as he ran, he fell through a black portal…

… and landed in Raven's room. He gazed at her in surprise, his mind trying to comprehend what he'd just seen and what he was seeing now: Raven was standing there, fully alive and decked out in her usual attire. She offered him a hand up, pulling him to his feet.

"You were…" he stuttered, his tongue catching on the final word as his mouth went dry in realisation that he'd just seen his friend possibly deceased- his worst fear.

"It was a spell, Robin," she stated calmly, walking towards her bed where an archaic spell book rested. He followed her, joining her as she sat down on the mattress. "I wanted to know if the shooter was able to hurt me in my own home so I created a body-double. It would obviously be more difficult for them to find me in the tower but on the roof, in the wide-open, I'm practically a bullseye. 'I' was meditating when he shot me at eleven-thirty p.m."

While he had to admit that her plan was genius, he couldn't shake the image he'd seen and the fear that flowed through his normally-composed self. Raven felt his ill-feeling through their bond and apologised for not telling him her idea- she didn't want anything to compromise her little experiment, inspired by her argument with Beast Boy the night before. Robin understood, impressed by her logic once again.

"This person is really upping their game if they knew 'you' were on the roof," Robin thought, coming up with possible reasons for this. "They must have eyes on you." If Raven was shaken by this news, she certainly didn't show it.

"Could they access our network?" Raven asked, earning a smirk from Robin.

"If they'd dare try to hack into Cyborg's handiwork," he joked. Then his face turned serious, "It's possible." Raven nodded, wanting to confirm her suspicion. "We need a team meeting: Cyborg and I discovered something last night and need to update you all." Raven nodded, teleporting them both from the room to the common room, where she proceeded to make her tea. Robin knew she was just as concerned about routine as he was- two birds of a feather.

The other Titans arrived a few minutes after receiving Robin's message to meet them in the common room. Raven wasn't happy about this, voicing her concern about the shooter having access to their tower cameras. He was sympathetic but raised the valid point that it would look peculiar if they were hiding away; it would show the shooter that they knew he or she had tabs on them and they had to keep their advantage if they wanted to catch them. Raven nodded in compliance, still feeling a bit uneasy. The suffocating weight on her chest lifted when the other three Titans entered; she felt safer around them.

While Cyborg prepared his findings about the bomb, Robin and Raven filled them in about what they'd discovered and hypothesised following Raven's spell.

"There's no way some simple sniper could access my mainframe," Cyborg insisted stubbornly, undeterred when Starfire brought up they didn't know whether this was the 'simple sniper' or not. "My security systems are state-of-the-art, man. If someone has found a way in, I'd be surprised."

"But it's not impossible?" Raven asked, receiving a shake of Cyborg's robotic head. "I think someone is in. Can you check?" This time, Raven received a nod.

"I can do, girl, but if someone is stupid enough to hack my systems, they're certainly not stupid enough to leave a trail…" he said, starting a scan. It would take a while, so he began talking about C293P. As Robin ordered, he didn't mention Operation Inferno. He knew it was in the rest of the team's best interests but he hated holding out on them.

* * *

Thank fuck he hadn't rang them, or he'd be dead. Stone cold dead. Failing once was shameful enough, but twice? He spat out his cereal when he saw her sitting the sofa next to Starfire and Beast Boy. It was as if he hadn't shot her at all! He'd definitely seen the impact… seen her fall back. He threw the porcelain bowl across the room where it collided with the wall and smashed into several large pieces. He failed to notice the subject matter that the Titans were discussing as he started to clean up the mess…

* * *

"So, this sample of C293P must be an old one, right? I mean, if it didn't disintegrate down… how was she still alive? It must be to do with her demon heritage. He knew he had to play the long game, no matter how much his client wouldn't like it. He was so caught up in the fact he'd failed that or whatever?"

"That's my thinkin' B," Cyborg confirmed.

"So Raven's sniper must not be on active service, otherwise he'd have used a fresh batch of that stuff?" the changeling concluded, feeling Raven shiver besides him at the thought of the sniper belonging to her. He turned to face her and smiled. They hadn't talked since yesterday night; he had so much he had to say to her, starting with a face-to-face, sincere apology.

Robin nodded, "Cyborg, start searching the military database for ex-servicemen currently living within a hundred mile radius of Jump. Once we have a list- and it'll be a long one- we'll narrow it down." Cyborg complied, accessing the database within a minute and setting up the correct search parameters.

"What are we going to do, friends? We now know that friend Raven is certainly not safe outside of the tower!"

"I'm going to have to stay here."

Everyone turned to her with mixed emotions: shock, surprise, relief, concern… it was overwhelming for the sorceress.

"You've changed your tune," Beast Boy said, noticing the way her violet eyes had glazed over in acceptance.

"The attempted shooting last night confirms that whoever this doing is watching me in some capacity," Raven sighed, looking around at them all. "I know I was stubborn before-" she specifically looked at Beast Boy, "- but I no longer feel… safe." It was a huge deal for her to admit that- for her to show her fear. Starfire rubbed her arm, trying to offer some comfort.

"Friend, I am pleased you are more accepting of this situation. We will protect you and find out who the shooter is." Raven smiled at her fellow female Titan, absorbing the hope she exuded.

"What about battles? It's hard enough sometimes with five of us, but four…"

"Three," Raven said, adding onto Cyborg's concerns. "Unless I still fight. You said you didn't want me to be left alone," she reminded Robin. Robin pondered this. The team would certainly feel the strain with two members down and the public would notice the change in team dynamic, which would lead to more questions.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now our objective is to keep you alive and hope these scans reveal some results."

Raven sighed, leaning further back into the sofa, "I'm going to go crazy in lockdown."

"Better than dead," Cyborg stated bluntly before he was interrupted by the mainframe computer signalling that its scan was complete. He downheartedly scanned the list of two hundred and eleven names, hoping to have a seen a number with less value.

"Well, how do we narrow it down?" Beast Boy asked.

"Eliminate women. Historically the most successful snipers for the U.S have been men," he said, ignoring the glares he received from Raven and Starfire. "It's a fact, ladies!" He thought he heard Raven mutter, _"Who's to say he's successful..."_ under her breath but remained focused on the task- unwilling to get into a debate with the demoness.

"That makes one hundred and thirty three."

"Snipers only?"

Cyborg tapped away, readjusting the parameters. "Forty seven."

"Snipers who were released from the military for misconduct?" Any serviceman who had proudly served in the military wouldn't risk damaging their reputation and future job prospects by taking on an assassination assignment. Their suspect didn't fit that profile- unless it was someone suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who could be easily manipulated into taking on such a grueling manhunt. Robin went with logic, debunking that particular theory, choosing instead to focus on the fact that he'd been blown up by a bomb made of a chemical compound that had most likely been stolen- a definite characteristic of a man who would be excused from duty.

"Six names. Certainly better than two hundred and eleven!"

Robin was pleased with the final number: a manageable amount of men to track down and question. Raven would be fine for one afternoon, especially if she was cautious which, judging by the way she was hidden within her cloak looking defeated, she would be. "We'll question three each. Starfire and I will take the top three men and Cyborg and Beast Boy will take the bottom. Raven, you need to stay here and be weary." Raven nodded, sinking through the sofa and teleporting to her room. The others sighed, preparing for the long afternoon ahead.

"At least Friend Raven has agreed to be more sensible now," Starfire smiled, trying to add positivity to the otherwise negative situation. The men agreed.

"At least we miss training!" Beast Boy cheered, earning a quiet giggle from Starfire and a glare so his inappropriateness from Robin.

"Why don't you two get ready for the interrogations?" Robin suggested to Starfire and Beast Boy. "It'll take a few minutes for us to send the addresses to our communicators, anyway." Honestly, he wanted to talk privately with Cyborg but he knew the younger two would take the bait. They did, leaving the room as requested without suspicion.

Robin wasted no time once he was alone with his second-in-command. He had an ill-feeling that he wanted to investigate before they left, brought on from 'Raven's' ordeal earlier. "Open the Operation Inferno file."

Cyborg did without questioning why, glad that there were no password changes since yesterday, meaning that his presence in the government mainframe had gone unnoticed so far. He located the file with ease and opened it.

"God dammit!"

There were new photos added to the file: photos of Raven sitting on the sofa, just as they had been moments before.

"How have they got access to our cameras!?" Robin snarled, turning towards Cyborg who was equally as shocked. One thing he took pride in was the state-of-the-art security systems he'd designed and installed to protect the tower and its inhabitants and for someone to hack it and screenshot their feed hurt like a bullet to the brain. Not answering Robin's question, he began to type furiously, setting up new passwords and invasion protocols to alert them if an intruder hacked again. "Cyborg!" Robin said, pushing the half-robot to his patience limit for the morning.

"Shut up and let me work!" he seethed, taking his frustration out on the only other person in the room. Robin, although he wanted answers, knew that he wouldn't get them anytime soon- not without causing a rift between him and his teammate (something which happened too often.) He chose to sit back and watch as Cyborg worked on exposing the hacker and updating the security. Robin was adamant that he wouldn't leave Raven alone in the tower if the camera feeds were still available to their anonymous hacker: it was too dangerous and risk he wasn't willing to take.

* * *

In her room, Raven was meditating when she empathically picked up that one of her friends was feeling overly anxious and frustrated. It could have been any of the four Titans. She predicted it was Beast Boy because of how their past conversations had ended recently. She reached out through her mind and discovered- to her surprise- that it was Robin. That was unexpected because, due to their bond, Robin was well-skilled in building up his own metaphorical walls around his innermost feelings and thoughts, so for these to break through meant they were powerful. Curious, she went to leave her room and find out what was bothering her leader but was blocked by Beast Boy standing in the threshold, his hand raised ready to knock on the now open door. He jumped back, unprepared for the sudden appearance of the sorceress.

"What do you want?" Raven asked impatiently, too polite to shove the changeling out of the way in order to get to Robin before he and Starfire left to question the snipers. She felt ashamed when she saw his pointed ears lower at her harsh tone- unintentional of course.

"I'm sorry, Beast Boy. I didn't mean to offend you," she sighed, offering him a small smile in good faith. After all, it wasn't his fault he'd caught her at an inopportune moment. Beast Boy recovered quickly, his ears perking up once more.

"That's what I came to say to you actually, Rae," he said softly, leaning against the wall opposite her open door, facing her uncloaked face. "I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. I overstepped the mark; I had no right to say those things to you." He was truly apologetic, she could feel it in the warm way his words reached her. "I'm just worried, you know. I don't want anything to happen to you…"

"Nothing's going to happen to me with you all around," she said sincerely, "You won't let it- my time with Trigon taught me that."

"Well, we're not gonna be around for the next few hours so be careful! The last thing I want to come home to is a…" he paused, gulping as he realised what he was about to say.

"And I thought I was the dark one."


	7. Clampdown

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or anything affiliated with it.

* * *

Starfire flew above the bustling evening traffic, trying not to let her frustration of the day's events – or lack of – affect her ability to stay above ground. She and Robin had visited two of their three destinations, searching for their sniper. Nothing. The two homes of the ex-military servicemen had led to dead ends.

The first, a clearly depressed man named Carlos Martinez, lived alone in a studio flat in the downtown district, surrounded by his empty crushed beer cans and grease-covered pizza boxes. They dismissed his ability to track and target a Titan without haste, leaving the man confused and with a noticeable chunk of his wall missing before going to their next address.

The second man was the total opposite of their first suspect. Nicholas Lancer was a family man, living in an upscale neighbourhood in the Jump City suburbs with his young wife and their three children. Learning from their mistakes with Martinez, they chose a more stealthy approach, entering his home through the unlocked front door. They found him playing in the spacious garden with one of his children: a little girl with golden locks cascading down her back as she missed the miniature football and fell onto her bottom. Laughing, she jumped up and tried again- no doubt she learned her perseverance from her military father. The two admired the scene before remembering they had a job to do, crossing the garden and apprehending Lancer. A half an hour of questioning revealed that he too was not their sniper.

Down on the ground, mounted on his R-Cycle, Robin shared Starfire's concerns. He sped through the traffic with ease, following his satellite navigation to their final destination: another studio flat in the east of the city. He'd checked in with Raven as soon as they'd left Lancer's abode, just as he promised he would. Raven had locked herself in the safe room. Although Cyborg had disabled the tower's cameras and set up new protocols to alert him to unauthorised access (stating it was just a precaution) Raven still wasn't persuaded by the half-robot's assurances to continue her daily living as she normally would while stuck in her own home. The saddened look in her eyes drowned Robin's tiredness, pushing him to keep up his spirits. He couldn't let her down.

Afterwards, he checked in with Cyborg and Beast Boy. They too were on their way to their final destination and too couldn't hide the fact that they'd had enough for one day. Beast Boy was changing forms regularly in the air, unable to concentrate on one for long enough while Cyborg had dark bags engrained under his human eye. He willed them to keep going, promising the men a day off tomorrow to refresh.

He and Starfire arrived at the flat of Max Hamilton ten minutes later. They were both on high-alert from the moment they parked and landed respectively. The area was run-down and isolated: perfect for criminal activity; it was close to both the docks and the business district where the skyscrapers provided the perfect viewing platform of the roof of the tower: the places where Raven had been attacked. He signalled for Starfire to follow him into the building. Upon seeing the darkness, Starfire summoned a starbolt to light up the hallway. They snuck up the stairs to apartment thirty-one, waiting a few seconds to listen for any activity inside the studio, before Starfire used the starbolt to blow the door off its hinges and flying into the room.

Empty. Starfire couldn't hold back her fury any longer: she cursed in Tamaranian and ripped the pillow on the bed in the corner to shreds, covering the stained wooden floor in duck down feathers. Robin, keeping his emotions level, hung back in the doorway, leaning on the intact wooden frame and surveying the abandoned room: the bed was made with precision (other than the now-destroyed pillow); the desk on the far wall was immaculate; the room was clean. It was clear to the young detective that the routines and behaviours Hamilton had learned while in the military were deeply ingrained into him, despite him being released from service a year prior for threatening a fellow soldier.

"I am sorry Friend Robin. I did not wish to lose control but I am filled with rage!"

"Don't worry Star," Robin comforted, "I feel the same way but we can't let our emotions interfere with our investigation." Starfire nodded back at him, a steely resolve in her emerald eyes. Together, they did a thorough search of the room. There was nothing personal in the room to indicate who lived there, or if anyone actually did. Robin contacted Cyborg to confirm they were in the right place, closing his communicator once Cyborg agreed that that was the last known address for Hamilton.

"Perhaps Cyborg is mistaken?"

"I doubt it."

"What the fuck?"

The two Titans spun around, coming face to face with a man they'd never met. Whoever he was, he wasn't pleased to see the superheroes. He stormed into the room.

"What the fuck are you two doin' in my flat!"

"Max Hamilton?" Robin asked, unintimidated by the stranger but still reaching into the back compartment of his utility belt for a birdarang just in case he needed it.

"Who the hell is that?"

"Sir, if you would please do the calming down, we will explain who we are."

The stranger dismissed Starfire with a wave of his hand.

"I don't care you are, sweetcheeks!" he snarled, too focused on the alien to notice Robin's glare at the term of endearment, "All I wanna know is why the fuck my door is on the fuckin' floor!"

"You do not need to do so much of the cursing, Sir. It is unappealing!"

Robin stepped in, trying to avoid an unnecessary confrontation in their uptight states. "We're the Teen Titans and we're searching the premises for a man named Max Hamilton. This was his last known address; that's why we're here."

"Well, whoever this Max guy is, he don't live here no more. I bought this dump last week," he said, gesturing to the feather-littered space.

"Who from?"

"I dunno, man. I didn't get his name."

"Why would you buy a property and not know the name of the man you bought it from?"

The stranger simply shrugged and stared down at the two. Deciding that they weren't getting anywhere, Robin left the room, ordering Starfire to do the same, not giving a second thought to the damage they'd done. Ignoring the aggravated shouts from behind them, they exited the building, all their energy leaving their exhausted bodies just in time for their communicators to ring. Starfire answered first, seeing Beast Boy's face on the small screen and frowning upon seeing his serious expression.

"Dudes, we found something."

* * *

He'd left as soon as he realised that his access to the cameras had been compromised, unwilling to risk that it was a coincidence. They were onto him- or at least the fact that someone had eyes to things they shouldn't have, which meant the team would soon put pieces together and find out his name. He left no trace of himself in the flat, grabbing his laptop and cables, his phone and his personal items and shoving them into duffel bags. Most importantly, he disassembled his M24 weapons system and delicately placed it into its case. He locked the door after him and navigated the stairs to his vehicle, only breathing once he'd packed it and sat in the driver's seat.

He took a moment to plan his next move. He couldn't phone his contact and confess, not unless he wanted to die. He couldn't turn himself in, not unless he wanted to wind up spending the rest of his life in a maximum security facility. He could just abandon the whole operation but he knew that they – his contact or the Titans – would eventually find him. The decision was made for him when his phone rang.

"I knew you'd make a mistake. It was only a matter of time," the voice sighed.

"Then why did you hire me?"

"Because you're the best, Anthony."

He knew better than to fall for the compliment, despite him once being one of the best snipers in the army. That is, until he'd decided to go rogue and share secrets with his enemies in the Middle East. He'd underestimated his colleagues then- they caught him and immediately revoked his military status. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice with his new 'colleagues'.

"I need protection."

"We owe you nothing."

"I need protection!" he repeated, shouting this time. His contact didn't reply to his statement for a long while but he could deep breathing through the phone.

"I'll text you an address," the voice stated unhappily, offering him a reprieve. "You can continue your mission from there. But don't expect any more favours from us. You're on your own until you complete your task."

"Yes Sir," he seethed, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel of his Fiesta with such force that he risked permanently damaging in vehicle. Once the man hung up, he threw the phone fiercely at the windscreen. It chipped, further adding to his woes.

* * *

"We found this in the pillowcase," Cyborg said, handing the photograph over to Robin, who glared at the piece of paper. It was a photograph of Raven, taken unexpectedly while she was battling a villain who was out of frame. Whoever had been behind the camera had been lucky enough to take a beautiful shot. Despite it being a still, there was grace to Raven's position. Her legs looked more elongated as her cape fluttered behind her back.

Robin scrunched the paper up and threw it in the bin before the girls could see it, knowing that Cyborg had already scanned it for fingerprints and DNA traces. While he didn't lust after his teammate - who was like a sister to him – he understood why many people (men and women) did: she was an attractive young woman, enchanting with her grace and mysteriousness. He hated to contemplate why that particular photo was hidden in a pillowcase, but he wasn't that naïve.

Raven sat on the crescent-shaped sofa, chaperoned by Beast Boy and Starfire. She didn't need to see the evidence to know what it was. Robin couldn't hide his disgust on an emotional level and she picked up on the negative energy radiating from him and the other men she resided with. To her right, Starfire sat wondering why the men looked so tense.

"It's just a photograph, Robin," Raven soothed, remaining seated as she followed Robin's pacing like she was watching a tennis match.

"Doesn't mean I like it any less!" he murmured through gritted teeth before turning to Beast Boy. "So this guy is definitely him?"

Beast Boy nodded. "Without a doubt, Dude. The room reeked of the same scent as the roof. Our hitman is definitely Anthony Lyle."

"The room was abandoned but he obviously left in a hurry if he left that. No sniper worth his gun would leave such crucial evidence behind," Cyborg added. "He must have jumped ship when we noticed the cameras…"

"Cameras?" Raven interrupted before Cyborg realised his mistake. Robin sighed, shaking his south-facing forehead and massaging it. Raven stood up abruptly. "What about the cameras?"

"Raven-"

"Don't 'Raven' me, Robin! What aren't you telling me?" she was trying to control her anger at the revelation, but it was a strain as she hated being lied to. She strode towards Robin, locking eyes with him and wishing that he didn't have his mask on. The two birds were unrelenting, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere in the room. Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire didn't know what to do other than watch and see who would cave first.

"We would have had to tell her eventually," Cyborg said, coming between the two stubborn teenagers and pushing them apart before focusing his attention on Robin, "We need to tell her."

"Yes, you do need to tell _her_!" Raven spat. Seeing how tense she was, Starfire stood and pulled Raven back towards the couch.

Robin didn't like it but he had to agree with Cyborg. He wasn't afraid of telling Raven about what they'd been hiding from her; he was afraid of her reaction to the unwelcome news.

Robin threw his arm towards the mainframe computer, inviting Cyborg to lead the discussion as he fell down next to Starfire, even more debilitated than he had been before he'd arrived home. The others on the sofa sat upright, intrigued as Cyborg's fingers danced across the keyboard and pulled up the same file he and Robin had seen before.

"Last night, Robin and I discovered this file in the government mainframe. It's contains minimal information about a secret operation called Operation Inferno." He clicked, commanding the file to open. The photographs of Raven appeared on the screen. "While we can't access data or who controls the file, we predict that whoever is behind the attempted killings has some connection with this."

Beast Boy was shocked to see so many photographs of the Raven. The one he'd found in the pillow was enough, but this? He was particularly fascinated by one of her healing him after a battle with Kardiak. That was back in 2012! While he wanted to keep looking, he knew he had a greater priority. He put his arm around the girl next to him, proud of how composed she was being but knowing it was all an act. Her eyes danced across the screen, taking in the abundance of images of herself. Beast Boy could have sworn her pale face was turning green, but before he could worry about it, her hood was placed over the head, hiding her face from view.

Raven felt sick. Physically sick. Thankfully, although she knew her friends wouldn't agree, she hadn't eaten anything today- the stress of her situation taking its toll. Even if she did vomit, nothing would come up from her empty stomach.

"You were right, Raven," the admission releasing her from her thoughts, "This morning, after your fictional shooting on the roof, we identified that someone had access to the tower's cameras. There was a photo of us having our meeting earlier today." Robin stood up and pointed to the photo on the screen as he caught Raven's eye beneath her cloak, "Cyborg disabled the cameras straight away. No one is watching you now."

Cyborg closed the Operation Inferno file and took a seat next to Beast Boy, who still had his arm around Raven despite it obviously offering the demoness little comfort; she had never been one to let herself be comforted.

"You should have told me this earlier, Robin."

Robin nodded, accepting the blame for both him and Cyborg. "I know, but I wanted to wait until we had more information," he said, logical as always.

"Was me being shot at twice not enough information!" Raven cried, ignoring the weighted hands on her shoulders as Beast Boy tried to hold her down with little success. Raven pushed him away and stood face-to-face with her leader once again, her eyes glowing red.

"Friend Raven-" Starfire started, recognising the signs that Raven was vexed, "Getting angry with Robin will not do the helping." She too got off the couch to try and help her friend.

"Withholding information _will not do the helping_!" she snapped, mocking the Tamaranian's English.

"Raven, you are being the glormarknorph!"

Tired of their childishness, once again Cyborg stepped in, "Y'all need to stop… now!" His tone left no room for argument and the two girls stepped back. Raven remembered who she was really angry with, refocusing her attention on Robin.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because I didn't want to worry you even more than you already are."

"Of course I'm worried," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Who wouldn't be worried in my situation?"

"Its how you're handling it: overcompensating your confidence and fearlessness at the docks; hiding away in the safe room today; not eating…" Before she could argue, he said, "Your breath smells, that's how I know. You're stressed. We're all stressed, and worried, about _you_. So give us a damn break!"

Silence sang throughout the room, all eyes on the pair as they both relented from emotional fatigue. Raven was tired of arguing with her teammates but she was on edge and couldn't help it. That was no excuse, she realised, apologising to Robin who returned the favour straight away, disappointed in himself for not being able to hold it together.

Unable to stand the awkwardness any longer, Beast Boy had to break it with light-hearted humour, as he often did: "Lovebirds again!" He gulped, "Well, at least we have more of a lead. But the government… why would they have all of these files on Rae?"

"That's what we need to find out," Cyborg nodded.

"And we still need to locate this Lyle dude," Beast Boy added, his mind creating an unpleasant image of a man pleasuring himself while drooling over Raven's photograph, causing his fists to clench at his sides.

"But not now," Robin said. "We need to eat, rest and spend some quality time together first. All of this is taking its toll on us as a team at a time when we need to be stronger than ever." He smiled at the other four.

Starfire gasped, "Robin, you do not mean…"

"Game night!" Cyborg and Beast Boy cheered, high-fiving and holding the last syllable with new-found energy. Robin let loose a little laugh, grabbing Raven around the waist before she could disappear through the portal she'd just summoned.


	8. Cooldown

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or anything affiliated with it.

* * *

Wondering around his room, eyes narrowed in thought, staring at the extensive collection of photographs and leads he'd collected over the last few days, Robin fought off the headache that arose from hours of hard work – hours that had him no closer to finding Raven's stalker or understanding the United States government's motives.

In a tactical meeting held the day after their game night, he and the others had decided that in order to remain incognito, they couldn't make anyone aware of the fact they were trying to undermine the elite force of the country. This had many downsides, the major being the fact that they were allies. Yet Robin couldn't help but feel guilty every time they – sans Raven – answered the alarm.

As for the demoness, she was becoming more intolerable by the day. Between her stubbornness to participate in regular team activities despite his direct order to stay out of sight and her terrible mood for being refined to the tower, he was losing control. The irony wasn't lost on him.

It started with her predictably locking herself away – a habit she'd abandoned after defeating Trigon. They didn't see her for fifty hours but she had the decency to send messages through her bond to Robin had she was indeed alive. Eventually she reappeared, pale but intact, with a newfound fire in her eyes. Her grief and misery had metamorphosed into anger. Unfortunately, the wrath she felt towards the sniper and the government leaked onto her friends. She grew short-tempered with Starfire's Tamaranian mannerisms; she was being aggressive when Cyborg was being overprotective; she was ready to slaughter Beast Boy for his comic relief; as for Robin, she was being cold in his presence.

It had been eight days since game night – eight tedious days of treading on eggshells and sleeplessness. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take…

"Stop being a bitch!"

It seemed that Beast Boy had lost it before he did. Running out of his room, he arrived in the common area to find the two Titans at loggerheads: Raven's energy crackled around her fingertips while the changeling claw's retracted under his gloves. He ran between them.

"Raven, stand down." His voice was calm. His mind wasn't. She disappeared through a portal in the floor.

Sighing, he turned to his younger comrade. "What happened?"

"Dude, literally nothing! All I did was ask if she was feeling better today."

"She's getting worse…" Robin murmured, agonising over the thought of having to discipline a pissed-off demoness with the ability – and short temperament – to send him to another dimension.

"No shit, Sherlock."

He ignored the sarcasm, not wanting any more arguments to ensue. "She's going through a tough time right now, Beast Boy. We just need to be as patient as possible until this is over with."

"I'm sick of being patient! I know she's scared and we're all shattered but she needs to cut us some slack, especially since we're picking up her grunt work." The green Titan had muttered the last part but Robin's keen senses didn't miss the words. He walked over to the changeling and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Look, I know how hard you've been working – we all have. All I ask is that you avoid more confrontations with her."

Beast Boy was finding it extremely difficult to mask his disbelief. His hands flailed around his body, gesturing to the door leading to the bedrooms.

"Confrontations!" he grimaced, trying not to shout. "I asked her a question. I was being a decent friend…"

"Give her no ammunition to use against you," he interrupted.

Robin could see the life drain from Beast Boy's eyes. "You need to talk to her about her attitude problem before I kill her."

He watched the changeling leave the room, fists clenched at his sides. Releasing a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding, Robin flopped down on the sofa, his arm falling lifelessly over the edge. He knew Beast Boy was frustrated more than the others. Throughout the years, he'd been the one to give Raven the most attention – admittedly, mostly unwanted and unreciprocated – so not being able to cheer up the girl was not sitting right with him.

Robin pulled out his communicator and messaged her, 'Roof. Five minutes.'

* * *

"Fuck!" he hissed, shaking off the electric shock he'd received from the broken socket. It was the second time in three days he'd had a power outage from blowing the fuses. Clearly government funding didn't stretch to state-of-the-art safe houses. The Stone Age conditions mixed with the lack of support from his employer was enough to drive him insane. The boss had followed through with his threats from eight days ago: he had no access to their surveillance like he had previously so he was at it alone. He'd logged onto the mainframe and used the regular password to find they had changed it… the bastards.

His phone buzzed. Every three hours like clockwork, he received the same text message: _Status update._ Every three hours - like clockwork – he replied, _'Alive'._ Each time he tapped send, he feared for his life.

The girl was in hiding. He hadn't seen her during team fights in Jump City and he wasn't the only one to notice her absence. On top of his laptop lay the Jump City Gazette with a photo of the half-demon emblazoned on the front cover under the headline, _'Titans Torn: Five Becomes Four'_. His gut instinct told him that she wouldn't have gone anywhere: the others wouldn't have let her, especially the green one.

Just as he was about to sit down, he heard a floorboard creak behind him and the sound of a trigger being pulled. As he slammed to the ground, blood pouring from his chest, he couldn't help but laugh at the irony. A sniper killed with a gun. They didn't show their face, but they didn't need to. Anthony knew exactly who they were. Just when he thought they couldn't get their hands dirty…

* * *

Despite her awful mood, Raven teleported through a portal from her room to the rooftop to find Robin waiting there. As expected, he didn't look happy to be there. She didn't blame him. Who would want to reprimand their friend when she was acting like the one thing she'd spent her whole life trying to avoid being.

"Thanks for coming."

"It's not like I had any choice."

"No, you didn't. We're trying to protect you and all you keep doing is making us question why."

Even for her, the Titan with the sharp tongue, that was a harsh comment to hear, especially coming from the mouth of the man who gave her hope when she needed it most. She tried not to let it show that she was hurt by his words but her head dropped to the floor.

"Hurts doesn't it, Raven? That's how you're making us all feel with your attitude. Don't think that you can push us away just because you don't want us caught in the crossfire of whatever is going on, because that isn't the girl you are anymore."

She couldn't fault his logic there having grown up over the years and not needing to resort to insults.

"Now, stop being difficult and stop sulking. You're better than that."

He didn't need to say anything more, simply striding towards the door and leaving the demoness to her thoughts. He turned the handle when his communicator beeped, as did Raven's in the distance. He turned towards her to find her already staring at him with her bright violet eyes. She nodded at him and they opened their communicators at the same time.

"We're both here. What's up?" he asked Cyborg.

"Y'all need to get down here; there's breaking news on the TV."

Raven enveloped them both in her energy and in a blink they were in the common room in front of the sofa where the other three Titans were sat, fixated on the wide screen behind them. The two birds silently sat, intrigued by the scene: police cars and an ambulance were surrounding a block of flats in the downtown district. Just as Robin was beginning to question why Cyborg had called him down here so urgently, he noticed it… the name at the bottom of the screen. Anthony Lyle's name followed by information of his murder. He watched as the coroners wheeled out a black body bag on a stretcher, headed for the ambulance.

"Lyle's dead?"

Robin looked at Starfire, just as surprised as she was but not answering her question. He had too many of his own. What did this mean? Who had killed him? Collectively, every head turned towards Raven, who had collapsed back against the sofa cushions.

"Then… it's over?" Starfire added, more questions coming to the forefront of her mind but taking the silence from her teammates as her cue to be quiet.

"Raven?" Beast Boy asked, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving her a slight shove. She was unresponsive. Cyborg turned off the television and strode over to the computer console, quickly typing in commands until the dreaded folder returned to the screen. They had refrained from opening it for a few days. When he tried the passcodes he'd used the week before, a red icon flashed before him.

"The password's been changed," he said solemnly.

"They must have killed him: he didn't deliver me," Raven said, shrugging Beast Boy's hand from near her face and levitating from the sofa as Lyle's unfortunate demise replayed in her memory. It was too much of a coincidence that the one man they were hunting down was suddenly shaking hands with the devil, or so she hoped. "I need to meditate." With that, a portal opened beneath her and she gracefully fell through it. The others stared at it long after it disappeared.

"Will she be okay?" Beast Boy asked, an air of innocence in his voice as if he were a few years younger.

"She will be, B. Don't worry."

"How can we not? Just because Lyle's dead doesn't mean this whole thing is over," he sighed, voicing the same opinion as the rest of them.

"It takes the edge off though. If the government do have a hidden agenda, they won't risk their reputation making it known to the public. Lyle must have been their way of taking care of business without detection. If they're dumb enough to launch an attack on one of the most powerful women on the planet, then they mustn't have thought that we'd find secret files and make a connection," Robin explained. "Them killing Lyle has played right into our hands." For the first time in days, his team looked determined, as if a fire had rekindled inside them. All except one…

"Dude, you're not seriously saying we're taking on the U.S. fucking government?"

"I wouldn't have put it as eloquently as that-" Robin said sarcastically, "-but yes."

Beast Boy was afraid of that answer and was worried that his leader had finally lost his mind. "Robin, we couldn't take down a damn sniper! What makes you think we can handle the people pulling the strings?"

"We've taken down people more corrupt."

Cyborg scoffed, muttering under his breath too quickly for Robin to hear. Beast Boy heard it though, smirking alongside his best friend.

"This is not the time for the laughter!" they heard, facing Starfire, who clearly didn't find their brand of political humour hilarious. "We must do the re-hacking of the computer and get information to save Raven."

Cyborg shook his metal head. "We can't. They obviously changed the password because someone found access – probably us. We can't risk it at the moment but I'll try in a few days."

Starfire wasn't satisfied with this answer. Being a member of the royal family of Tamaran, you couldn't afford to waste time and let your enemy get ahead you. The princess was used to solving problems with face-to-face bloody negotiations and violent battles until her race reigned victorious. It was against her heritage to lay in wait. She didn't like it; the thought of being seen as weak made her blood boil. She wanted to find whoever had been terrorising her closest allies and maim them.

Seeing the eyes of the Tamaranian turn luminous lime, Robin jumped in front of her and placed both his hands on her upper arms.

"Calm down," he ordered. "We will find who is responsible and you can get your vengeance. Until then, you need to remain in control."

Starfire's eyes returned to normal just as the tower began to shake. The Titans froze, trying to keep their balance until the tremor stopped. They watched as all of their belongings scattered onto the floor and rolled around the room under the influence of tendrils of dark energy. A couple of the high-rise windows smashed, allowing the cool evening breeze to flow through the room. It stopped a few moments later and they watched as the tendrils that had been causing so much destruction suddenly bolted under the door, being pulled back into the woman who had let them roam free in the first place.

"Speaking of control…"


	9. Facedown

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or anything affiliated with it.

* * *

They left her alone that night, all in agreement that Raven needed time to accept that the imminent threat on her life was now a mere memory. Little did they know though that the dark bird couldn't put this behind her until she knew more about the government's initiative. So far, she'd left Robin and Cyborg to ponder their involvement, but it didn't take a genius to understand that she was a massive threat to the United States – all metahumans were, should they decide to go rogue – so she could comprehend the valid reasoning that they gathered intelligence on her during the times she was in public battling with her team.

It didn't mean it hurt any less to know you weren't trusted. After years of trying to be accepted for being dark, different, demonic, she still couldn't win the hearts of everyone. She repeated this to herself mentally as she attempted to meditate in her room. With her mind too preoccupied, she gave up, finally lowering herself to her feet and leaving her abode to venture to the control room – praying that none of the boys would be there already.

It was empty. The only sound she could hear was the humming of the fridge as she quickened her steps towards the computer, powered it up and began researching the histories of the current members of the Jump City government. After all, politicians could be some of the filthiest villains of all…

* * *

Robin found her there hours later, the rising sun illuminating her violet hair as it peeked through the windows overlooking the bay. He sighed softly, the sight of her sleeping – albeit in an uncomfortable chair with her head on the keyboard – giving him some peace of mind. He decided to let her sleep a while longer. Avoiding making any noise – his acrobatic skills and light feet coming in handy – he proceeded to make himself his usual breakfast: ham, eggs and a large pot of coffee. He walked silently past the computer to the sofa and ate the nutritious meal.

When Beast Boy entered a while later, ready to shout his usual morning cry, Robin was ready; he gestured for the younger man to be quiet while pointing in Raven's direction. Beast Boy smirked upon seeing Raven in her vulnerable sleeping state. The changeling pulled his communicator from his pocket and took a photograph of the demoness before Robin could show his disapproval. The leader simply narrowed his eyes to little effect – his death glare was lost on Beast Boy years ago. The latter stuck out his tongue before going to make his own vegetarian breakfast. Unfortunately for Raven, Beast Boy wasn't as graceful as Robin. She jolted awake to the sound of a mountain of ingredients falling from the tentacles of a lime green octopus. Noticing her comrades, she blushed a crimson red.

"Good morning," she murmured.

Beast Boy transformed back into himself, picking up the food. "You know Raven, last time I checked, you have a perfectly good bedroom downstairs," he joked.

"Checking makes you sound like a pervert," she seethed.

"What can I say; a man has needs!"

Raven groaned, the thought of Beast Boy and his 'needs' making her want to vomit in her mouth. "You're disgusting."

"I ain't denying that…"

Robin had had enough of their childish bickering. "It's too early for you two to be arguing," making his disapproval clear.

Raven made herself a tea while Robin abandoned the last quarter of his breakfast to see what she'd been researching that night. He opened the tabs, scanning the familiar pages he'd spent the previous nights this week gazing at. He already knew there was nothing of merit there, but he was glad the demoness had the same train of thought he did: corruption in government wasn't a surprise to anyone with a basic sense of political knowledge and human greed.

"No luck?" he confirmed as Raven shook her head in response.

"I tried a few passwords too but no luck; it's not in Azarathian."

"That would be too obvious," Beast Boy added, flopping down on the sofa with a tofu omelette-covered plate balanced on his chest. "Have you tried your birthday?"

"I doubt they're that imbecilic."

"I don't."

Raven couldn't help but smirk, agreeing with him. She took the mouse from Robin and opened up the organised typed notes she'd made. On the screen flashed photographs of every government official with some basic information about them. Through a third of them were red crosses indicating that she had no reason to be suspicious about their activity. However, many were left blank. She scrolled down until the face of an older gentleman appeared before them: Mr Joseph Colson.

"This is the first official to make me feel uneasy; in my research I discovered that when he was at university studying for a PHD in chemistry and international relations, he wrote a thesis on chemical weaponry as a defence mechanism against the Kryptonians."

"Since when did international mean intergalactic?"

Intrigued – and impressed by her research skillset – Robin ignored Beast Boy's input and asked for more details. Raven went on to explain that the thesis was rejected, hence his 'Mister' title instead of 'Doctor' and that the weaponry he'd described had some similar elements to the C293P Lyle used. He didn't miss how she shuddered slightly when she spat out the sniper's surname.

"Of course there are thousands of men and women to scan through, and I'm sure Colson isn't the only government official to specialise in the subject but it seemed too much of a coincidence not to find out more." She didn't know why she suddenly felt the urge to defend herself – probably because she hadn't been useful in the last week and now she had to step up to the mark.

Robin placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's a start – a good one," he encouraged. "I'll combine your efforts with mine and Cyborg's and see if any other red flags appear."

Raven let a small smile escape before leaving the room to try and get some sleep in an actual bed. Massaging her sore neck as she floated along the secluded corridor, she arrived at her door and unlocked it with a swipe of her hand; it opened to reveal her usual scenery but as she crossed the threshold, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on edge. Something was wrong…

* * *

Cyborg heard the smashing glass with his sensitive robotic ears, cursing. He'd only just replaced the windows Raven had broken. Last time though, the sound of men grunting was absent. Filled with curiosity, he opened Raven's door to find the demoness face down in the grip of an official-looking man in a suit as he straddled her back. The half-robot growled at the second man lying at his feet, obviously in pain. _'Good,'_ he thought. Stealthily, he pressed the emergency button located on his back, silently signalling for the others to join him.

"Let her go, before you end up like your friend here," he commanded, kicking his associate in the gut.

The man smirked, tightening his hold on the girl beneath him; Raven groaned – half in pain and half in righteous fury. How dare this mortal lay his hands on her, her demon side seethed inside her mind and barely registered the intruder's voice filling her room.

"I'm afraid I can't – this _demon_ ," he spat, digging his nails into her cloak-covered arms, "is under arrest."

"No she ain't, and I hate to repeat myself, so let her go… now."

He didn't take his eyes off the man but in his peripheral vision he could see Raven was struggling to maintain control of her rage: her eyes had a scarlet hue and her breathing was deeper. If she lost it then they would have a valid reason to arrest her – murder.

"Cyborg, what's going on?" Starfire asked as she and the others arrived in the doorway. Beast Boy immediately transformed into a tiger, digging his claws into Raven's black carpet and preparing to pounce. The other two were more rational, seeing their friend in obvious discomfort and wanting to keep her from experiencing any more pain.

"Let me guess," Robin started, "Anthony Lyle couldn't fulfill his duty so whoever you're working for sent you two imbeciles to kill him." He watched as the man's eyes narrowed – his detective skills hadn't let him down.

"Never send a boy to do a man's work. Guess Batman never taught you that, Robin. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a warrant for her arrest," he sneered, shoving Raven's head down. Only now did the Titans notice that she was bound by handcuffs, and judging by the way they were glowing a bright yellow, they were power-cancelling.

Starfire stepped forward, her hands glowing green. "What crime has Raven committed?"

"Being born."

Beast Boy roared loudly, leaping over Raven's head onto the man's massive torso as Starfire swooped under him and grabbed Raven. She took the handcuffs in her vice-like grip and tore them off of her wrists like they were made of tissue paper. Raven nodded in thanks, quickly turning to find Cyborg shoving her towards her door.

"Get out – we got this."

"Not a chance," she emphasised, surrounding the stranger under Beast Boy in her energy. Beast Boy growled, communicating in an animalistic way that this was his prey and not hers for the taking. "We need him alive for information," she explained.

The changeling transformed back into his usual self. "He doesn't need his arms to talk."

Appreciating their protectiveness – and slightly concerned that Beast Boy would follow through with his threat – she levitated her captor towards her while Robin used his own cuffs to apprehend the semi-unconscious one.

"I don't know who you are, and quite frankly, I don't give a damn – I have better things to do with my time than be attacked in my own home. So, unless you want to end up like Lyle, I suggest you tell us what we want to know."

"I don't negotiate with interdimensional demons," he replied coolly, not fazed by her threat. He knew all about her _kind_ – the supposed pacifists from Azarath. Years of research and observation while she fought on the side of good had paid off. He knew all about her. Her lies. Her past. Her life before becoming a Titan.

"Funny, I don't negotiate with assholes yet here we are."

"You are under arrest and refusal to surrender yourself calmly will result in you being forcibly removed from this tower. It's your choice, Raven."

"It didn't look like you were giving her a chance to surrender from the way you were restraining her," Robin said, crossing his arms with impatience. He was sick of these mind games. Thankfully, the second official was beginning to rouse awake, giving Robin an outlet for his frustration: he punched the man back into unconsciousness. "Who are you working for?"

"That's privileged information."

"Why are you targeting Raven?"

"That's privileged information."

Already knowing the answer, he persisted, "Why do the government want Raven in custody?

The man hesitated, trying to hide the surprise that the Titan leader knew which agency he was from. Robin realised he finally had the upper hand in this situation.

"I'm taking this act of rebellion as you resisting arrest," he said, redirecting his attention to this target. She didn't move a muscle. Neither did the rest of her team. He stared at them one by one. He got the information he wanted and the outcome of his visit had been as predicted. "I'll be seeing you again soon, Raven." He threw down a smoke grenade and ran towards his colleague, grabbing him and heading to the broken window, jumping through it and abseiling down to the bottom. The sound of his enemies coughing smoke from their lungs became a distant memory as he disappeared.

Thinking quickly, Cyborg used his arm as a vacuum, suctioning the infected air and neutralising its effects. Once the smoke had cleared, he and the others ran to the window. Their new acquaintance was gone – and he'd taken his associate with him.

"Are you alright?" Beast Boy asked, but Raven ignored him, walking over to the piece of paper at the end of her bed: lying there in an official envelope was the arrest warrant. She tore open the envelope, letting it litter the floor as her eyes skimmed a blank piece of paper. She handed it to Robin.

"It was a decoy."

Starfire floated behind Robin, confused by the blank piece of paper.

"I do not understand. Why would the men wish to intrude like that and not take Raven?"

"To test these," Cyborg stated, striding towards them with the power-cancelling handcuffs in his hands – broken, thanks to Starfire's alien strength. "Sending only two guys to arrest a Titan… it was bullshit from the beginning."

"And now they know more about our defences… or lack of," Beast Boy sighed, surveying the damaged window pane and shards of glass that glittered in the mid-morning sun.

The bright sunlight paired with a night spent analysing information on a computer screen had given Raven a headache. She sat down on her bed, rubbing her temples with her delicate fingers. When her friends stared at her, she reassured them that she was fine. They didn't believe her. They never did – even more so since this situation with Lyle started.

"I tried to read this mind while he had me," Raven explained, "But those damn handcuffs prevented me from getting any information."

"It's not your fault, friend," Starfire soothed, recognising Raven's self-deprecating tone of voice. Her lack of blame didn't make her feel better. She should have left her room the moment she sensed something wasn't right. She should have been able to handle both men instead of just one. She could have teleported the one she attacked to a secret location to interrogate later. _'Hindsight is such a wonderful thing,'_ she thought sarcastically, waking herself from her thoughts to observe her friends.

Starfire looked at her with pride and optimism, knowing the empath would benefit from the positive feelings she exuded. Beast Boy stared at her with those eyes she hated – the ones that were the window to his soul: they swam with frustration that he couldn't do more. Cyborg was using the same vacuum from moments before to clear the glass from her floor, getting his thoughts in order on how best to proceed from here. He planned on running a full facial recognition scan using the images he'd captured using his eye camera as soon as they were done with this impromptu evaluation of events. As for Robin, his mood surprised the demoness.

Trying to ignore the suffocating feelings her brothers were radiating into the confined space around her, Raven bluntly asked, "What are you so happy about? Normally you'd be locked in your room starting a new investigation by now."

Robin glared at her dark – yet accurate – sense of humour. "For your information, I started it about five minutes ago." That got their attention.

"You have a plan," Beast Boy stated rather than question. _'He always does,'_ he enviously thought, wishing he possessed the same leadership qualities. Robin nodded.

"We wait for them to arrive at their base," the leader smiled, flipping open his communicator for the others to see, "And hope that they don't find my tracker and destroy it before they get there."


	10. Thindown

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or anything affiliated with it.

* * *

As far as Robin was concerned, his plan had worked: the tracker he'd planted on Raven's assailant was still relaying the location to the communicator on his R-Cycle. Above him, the others were flying through the cold evening sky towards their targeted destination, Starfire carrying Cyborg, who was directing the airborne Titans.

Raven could feel the concern of her teammates. She was trying her best to ignore it, despite it growing stronger the closer they flew to the supposed base. She was fine after the attack – a bit shocked maybe, but fine. As soon as Robin had announced that he'd planted a tracking device, the team had immediately began strategizing their plan. It had taken many hours as a result of her stubbornness clashing with that of her leader's: he didn't want her going, but she finally persuaded him. Deciding it was better to strike sooner rather than later, they left after dinner. The sky was already starting to darken.

"How you holdin' up?" Cyborg asked.

Raven rolled her eyes. "For the last time, I'm –"

"Fine. Yeah, I know."

"Then why ask?" Raven retorted, trying to keep her frustration bottled.

"Because we're about to enter the base of an organization where the enemies want you dead."

"Wouldn't be the first time…" she said, smirking and flying away from her older brother. While she appreciated the support – although she'd never admit it – it was beginning to make her feel nauseous, and putting on her confidence façade was getting more difficult as every hour crept closer to the next.

Watching Raven distance herself from Cyborg and Starfire, Beast Boy flew closer to her, letting her know he was there. That was all she needed.

They arrived a few minutes later, touching down on the ground next to Robin's R-Cycle. The plan was simple: enter, attack, find out more about the operation, leave. However, as they all headed for different entrances, they knew that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry…

Raven and Starfire were heading for the rooftop entrances while the men covered the front and back of the building; it was a place they'd rarely been to in their years protecting Jump City: the laboratories of a minor science research centre. Questioning whether this was the right location, Raven decided to trust the tracking device: if this is where it said the bastard was, then so be it.

She opened the door silently using her ethereal energy, not wanting to alert anyone to her presence. Floating off the floor to avoid activating any pressured alarms, she signalled to Starfire before going through the threshold. No alarms. Relieved, Raven slowly continued down the corridor wishing that Starfire was with her. The hallway had many paths she could take, but she decided to keep going straight, trusting her instincts.

A few metres further up, she suddenly felt a presence. Cursing, she dove through the first door she came across, closing it firmly and pressing her back to it. From the corridor, she could hear voices.

"The bitch would have been mine if it wasn't for that robot."

"Lindon isn't going to be pleased."

"Fuck him. I wish I'd never signed up to this."

"Like we had a choice…"

Their voices quietened as they disappeared around a corner. Raven took a deep breath before sinking through the wall into the corridor again. She levitated in their direction, hoping to overhear more information. She caught up to them quicker than expected, watching as they scanned their identification badges to assess a locked room. They entered, and it was then that Raven saw the guns at their sides. She gulped at the thought of the weapons being used on her, an aftershock effect from her encounters with Lyle.

Swallowing her fear, she made a quick decision. She had to know what they wanted. Taking the risk, she hid around a deserted corner and summoned her soul self to abandon her body. She swiftly flew through the narrow gap in the door before the room locked firmly behind her. Blending into the corner of the ceiling, she watched as the two men she'd heard approached a magnificent mahogany desk. A chair spun around to reveal a man in an impressive suit and lab coat.

"I see you were unsuccessful," he stated calmly, looking at the one who'd attacked her.

"We were… intercepted," the man said.

"I haven't spent years on this operation for it to fail because you were 'intercepted'."

"My apologies, Doctor Lindon."

He sounded a lot more sincere now than he did when she heard him cursing Lindon.

"First Lyle, now you. I'm starting to think everybody I hire is useless," he hissed. "I need Raven here – alive or dead! Is that so difficult!"

Before the man could reply, Lindon stood up. That's when she heard the trigger. She recoiled as blood splattered onto the wall near where she was hiding. She had to leave.

"Unless you want to end up like this idiot, I suggest you and your team find a way to bring the demon girl to me before the end of the week," Lindon said in a low tone, placing his weapon down gently on the desk to face him.

The other man nodded, not turning his back as he exited the room. She waited for Lindon's chair to turn around again so she could make her escape, but it didn't move. He was staring at the blood on his wall directly left to where she was. It was like he knew she was there. That was when he looked into the corner. He looked fixatedly at it – at her – although she knew none of her could be seen in her ethereal form. She was growing weaker having been away from her body for too long. Finally the chair turned and she disappeared through the door just as it shut – another narrow escape.

Raven's soul-self flew down the corridor back to the where her body was hiding. It was gone.

She tried to keep calm and rationalise where she would have been taken: did Lindon's man hit the jackpot and find her lying there helpless? She would have passed him so she ruled that out. Maybe she'd taken a wrong turn in her weakened state.

Suddenly she heard a welcomed voice: Beast Boy's.

"Come on Rae, wake up."

She felt herself being pulled in another direction, now she knew where she was being held. Her soul rushed back towards her body that was being propped upright by the changeling as he shook her lifeless form. He nearly dropped her when he saw the black bird soar into her chest and her eyes open.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack!" Beast Boy whispered harshly, supporting her because she didn't have the strength to do it herself. "Where did you go?"

"I'll tell you outside," she said breathlessly, feeling nauseous as she recalled the gun shot. Beast Boy took that as their cue to leave.

"Are you alright to teleport? I could carry you but we might be-"

"I'll be fine," she assured him although he didn't believe her: he knew that prolonged use of her powers caused extreme fatigue. "Just transform into something small to make it easier."

He obliged, shrinking down to a spider and crawling onto her belt. A moment later, he saw the outside world. He retransformed into his human self and let Raven lean on him as her body failed to support itself once more. He checked she was alright before using his communicator to let the others know where they were.

"Raven and I are outside. She got some intel."

Robin didn't miss the concerned look on Beast Boy's face. "What happened?"

He looked down to the girl next to him, wondering the same thing. "She's gonna tell us when we're all here. She's too tired to talk now."

"We'll be there in a bit," Cyborg confirmed. Beast Boy nodded, closing the communicator and turning back to Raven. She was shaking.

"You shouldn't have used your powers like that," he said, thinking the shaking was because she had exhausted herself, not because she'd watched a man get murdered right in front of her.

Before she could stop herself, she curled onto her side and vomited on the grass. Dignity gone, she wiped her mouth and lay down on the ground, her head lightly colliding with the soft earth… like the man's did… when his skull shattered…

Footsteps vibrated from beneath her head as the others ran over. Seeing the sick and Raven lying down, Cyborg knelt down next to her.

"So this is fine," he smirked, trying to lighten the mood. He opened a compartment of his arm to reveal a plastic straw. He handed it to her to drink from. Raven thanked him, talking small gulps of water to relieve her nausea.

"I think we should return to the tower before we are noticed," Starfire suggested. "Do you require the lift, Raven?"

Beast Boy intervened, saying it would be a smoother ride on his back as opposed to being dangled through the air. Starfire understood, lifting Cyborg off the ground instead and setting off for their home.

"Come on," Beast Boy said, carefully helping Raven onto his back. "You just relax."

She followed his advice, allowing Beast Boy to do the hard work. She watched Robin speed away from the research centre on his R-Cycle then closed her eyes and rested for the short flight home.

* * *

The last droplets of blood had been cleared from the office wall and the body disposed of. Yet something was still bothering him. Something he couldn't put his finger on. He was watching back the security footage, rewinding the same few seconds when his employees entered - and only one left.

That's when he noticed it: the sudden black rush on the screen that disappeared as soon as he blinked, so fast that he wasn't sure it was real. But it was. She had been there. He reached for his phone and dialled a number.

"You now have two days and I want her alive!"

He hung up before it could be argued, wondering if it would be easier to get his own hands dirty.

* * *

The Titans were sitting around the kitchen table, ready for bed but knowing they had to feedback from their recon mission. All eyes immediately turned to the demoness.

"I'll go first shall I?" she deadpanned, taking a sip of tea to calm her nerves. Beast Boy giggling made her feel slightly more at ease; Robin's seriousness from across the table didn't.

"I overheard a conversation between two men. One of them invaded the tower earlier."

"How do you know?" Cyborg asked.

"Because I doubt they tried to grab two _bitches_ and got intercepted by robots. They mentioned someone called Lindon so I followed them into his office. I used my soul-self to enter undetected."

"What did you see that made you sick?" her leader asked sympathetically when Raven paused.

"Doctor Lindon… shot… the one who attacked me… in the head."

Robin nodded, holding up his hand to signal that she didn't need to continue.

"I heard the gunshot," Beast Boy added, all eyes turning on him. "That's when I found you in the hallway."

"I'm glad you found me before the other guy did."

"What other guy?"

She turned to Cyborg, explaining, "Doctor Lindon told the other man that he would kill him too."

"If…" Robin said, knowing that that wasn't the end of the sentence.

"If he didn't bring me to Lindon by the end of the week."

Robin's head dropped into his hands. He was tired of his whole situation. He was tired of his team being threatened.

"Did Doctor Lindon turn up in any of your searches?" Raven asked the others because he didn't in any of hers. Cyborg and Robin shook their heads.

When Robin suggested looking him up, Starfire intervened, sensibly stating that they all needed some sleep and that the Lindon search could wait a few more hours.

Agreeing, Raven said, "I'm going to the safety room," standing and walking away from the table sluggishly. She was still drowsy and too tired to argue anymore. She'd finally accepted that was the best place for her to be, no matter how much she'd protested it before. The others looked relieved, softly smiling.

"I'll take you down," Cyborg said before she could change her mind, escorting her from the room. They started walking together but Cyborg soon swept her up in his arms, seeing how slowly she was walking, just like the last time she'd stayed in the safety room when the prophecy was revealed. He gave her a small squeeze before setting her down on two feet again so his arms were free to unlock the locks on the door – all ten of them. He pushed open the door and walked her inside the room. The large space unnerved her.

"Look Rae, I know you hate it in here but you're making the right decision."

She nodded, looking at the lonely bed in the corner of the room. She teetered over to it, pulling back the covers and sitting on it. It wasn't as comfortable as her usual bed, but it would do for now.

"I'll be right up there," the half-robot reassured her, pointing to the monitoring space behind the glass. It wasn't reassuring at all for her though, knowing that someone would be watching her for most of the night - even if it was someone she trusted with her life.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight Raven."

Her head hit the pillows as the door slammed shut.


	11. Throwdown

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans or anything affiliated with it.

* * *

That night, Raven barely slept: the safe room – as it was so unoriginally called – was eerie, even by her standards. The reinforced sound-proof glass created an unwelcome silence that sent her anxieties into overdrive. She'd fallen asleep as soon as Cyborg had left the room because she was exhausted, but woke up an hour later to see him in the control booth above her. Thankfully he respected her need for privacy and watched the monitors as opposed to her. It wasn't enough though.

"Have you found out anything?" she rasped, knowing Cyborg would be able to hear her through the control panel. He glared down at her.

"Shouldn't you be resting?"

"You try resting in a place like this."

He grinned down at her, "True that. When all this blows over, we can redecorate it."

His certainty made her feel more relaxed, enough to grace him with a small smile.

"So, have you?" she redirected back to her earlier question.

"Apparently Dr. Lindon used to work with Joseph Colson; you were right to be suspicious. They worked on the same thesis while studying for their PhD - that one you told Robin about." She nodded in understanding, urging him to continue. "They were partners with the same agenda but Colson took the fall for his extremist views and Lindon continued to pass the thesis."

Raven was impressed with his knowledge and the speed he'd researched.

"How did you find out all this?" she asked.

Cyborg smirked, "Girl, I got contacts at S.T.A.R. Labs: they know about every Doctorate candidate on the east coast."

"I don't suppose you found out more detail about the thesis?" she asked, feeling hopeful. "All I uncovered was that it was about intergalactic relations and chemical weaponry." Raven didn't like the way that Cyborg hesitated and cleared his throat, avoiding her question. "I'm a big girl, Cyborg," she sighed, "What is it?"

"Lindon and Colson's entire thesis was about chemical weaponry… to counteract demonic magic."

Keeping her face passive, she replied, "Well, that wasn't surprising seeing as they have an entire library dedicated to me and tested neutralising handcuffs on me."

"Don't be cute – this is serious," Cyborg scalded. "I reckon they're still working together and Colson is using his influence in government to keep everything hush hush while Lindon gets all his cronies to do his bidding."

"Have you told Robin any of this?" she asked, getting out of the bed and stretching her legs. The room wasn't small enough to make her feel claustrophobic, but not large enough to feel free. She started to pace around the perimeter of it, distracting herself with the protective runes emblazoned on the curved walls.

"I thought the others needed a rest too. I'll tell him in the morning," he sighed, typing away at his keyboard.

"And what about you?" she asked caringly, slowly circling the perimeter of the room.

"What about me, Rae?" His eyes never left the computer screen. His fingers didn't stop tapping in information.

"You need rest too. This whole mess has been stressful for all of us, not just me."

"I run on batteries in case you forgot," he smirked.

"I didn't specify physically."

"If you can stay sane, then so can I," he smiled finally looking down at her. "You worry about yourself and leave the rest to me."

* * *

He walked through the corridors, grasping a folder full of observations and findings. Hopefully, Colson would be pleased with the news that the handcuffs were ready to go and that the test had been successful, even if their bonus of capturing the demon had failed.

Knocking on the door, he straightened his collar and glasses, waiting to be invited in. A minute passed and he began tapping his foot impatiently. Lindon was used to waiting for his colleague: he was regularly in important meetings with government officials.

He pressed his ear to the door and heard talking and footsteps. The door handle jerked open to reveal several serious-looking men in sharp grey suits. They exited quickly as he entered. Colson was sat in his chair.

"Lock the door."

He did as he was instructed before sitting opposite his friend. He handed over the files for him to peruse, knowing better than to speak before Colson had all the facts. He watched as the papers were flicked through and the folder finally thrown down on the desk haphazardly.

"After you killed Lyle, I thought this whole operation would fail. I'm pleased that something has finally gone right."

Smirking, Lindon replied, "We still don't have the witch though."

"I have great faith in you, Marcus: you always were the brains. She'll be in the lab by the end of the week, I'm sure." His low tone left no room for argument.

"Thanks Joe – any news your end?"

Colson leaned forward in his chair, his arms resting on the desk. "I'm insulted that you think I'd be found out. Those idiots are clueless. They don't understand how dangerous she is… yet, but they will soon enough."

"Everything we've worked for… all the obstacles… all the sleepless nights… I can't believe we're this close after four years!"

"I can – our theory is sound; it always was – even if people _disagreed_."

That was putting it mildly: when they were studying together, their love of chemistry created a close bond. It was their differences regarding mutants that nearly drove them apart until Joseph helped Marcus see the error of his ways. Together they graduated top of their class and went on to write their thesis. Four years of hard work and research nearly ended with nothing when the dean of the university discovered Joseph creating highly dangerous illegal chemical weapons. Of course Marcus knew about them, but he couldn't let all those years be wasted so he feigned ignorance and finished off the thesis alone. The two men never lost touch, deciding that it was divine intervention that created the new situation they were in where they could both influence their professional fields. Joseph, working in the mayor's office, syphoned off funds to keep Marcus' laboratory functioning and running their project: Operation Inferno. And soon, the entire population of Jump City would be enlightened by _what_ was protecting them – the spawn of Trigon himself.

"I made it very clear to my men what my expectations are. Now that we have conclusive evidence that the handcuffs will hold, she'll be mine in no time."

"Assuming the Teen Titans haven't hidden her, of course," Colson reminded him. "You cannot underestimate where their loyalties lie… _delusional creatures._ "

"Then we need a distraction," Lindon said, his fingers caressing his stubble-covered chin. "Can you organise a break-out?"

Colson laughed, leaning back in his chair and picking up his phone.

"Keep me updated," Lindon stated, standing up and striding to the door. He received no reply as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

The Titans had gathered in the safe room as soon as the sun rose, four of them in the control room while the final member sat on the floor of the prison, listening as Cyborg relayed the information he'd discovered from his associate at S.T.A.R. Labs. As she suspected, Robin was furious to hear that Cyborg had waited hours to let him know that Colson and Lindon were partners.

"You should have told me the moment you found out!"

"Why? So you could obsess over it?" he commented, already regretting starting the conversation before either of them had drunk a cup of coffee.

"Dudes, chill out," Beast Boy intervened. "You shouldn't be-"

"Raven is in danger – that's why you should've told me."

"No shit! I've been here all night in case you've forgotten!"

Starfire's attempt to resolve their argument was as futile as Beast Boy's. "Friends, please, stop the-"

"We could have strategised a plan by now!"

"A plan where we get our asses handed to us because we're all exhausted… great job, Robin."

A bed hit the window, stunning the arguing teenagers. They watched it ricochet off the glass barrier and smash against the opposite wall, narrowly missing the girl controlling it.

"You two need to shut up. It doesn't matter when you know, it's what you know," Raven sighed, "And all I know is I want to get out of this room as soon as possible, so start working together and make it happen."

They all stared as she marched to the nearest wall and sat against it, making it clear that she wasn't to be spoken to when she telepathically switched off the connection between her room and theirs.

"Raven is right, Robin," Starfire said calmly, placing a hand on his tense shoulder. "We needed the sleep before so now we can make the plan and defeat Colson and Lindon."

Beast Boy added, drawing his attention away from the demoness, "We should go straight to the mayor: he needs to know that a psychotic maniac works in his cabernet."

"Agreed," Starfire concurred. "He must be made aware immediately."

"No," Robin said, "We can't tip off Colson."

"He's always one step ahead anyway," Cyborg muttered pessimistically. "I say we focus on Lindon and that freaky lab of his." The other three turned to face him. "Just because we found nothin' doesn't mean nothin' is going on in there."

The sudden shrill of the alarm halted their conversation. Cyborg loaded the alert, cursing when he saw what it was. "The whole South Wing of Jump City Prison has escaped."

"How the hell has that happened?" Robin seethed, punching the console.

"What if it's a trap?" Cyborg thought aloud, gesturing to Raven. "What if they want us out of the way?"

Robin looked torn. He'd thought the same thing, but he couldn't risk the lives of innocent civilians over the capabilities of Raven. She was in the safest place.

"We better hurry," Beast Boy said, transforming into an eagle and flying from the room with Starfire at his tail feathers. Robin started to run but stopped when he remembered Raven. He ran over to the glass and punched it, making her look up. She flipped the switch.

"Are you done fighting?" she asked, oblivious that the alarm had gone off.

"No," he smirked. "There's been a huge break-out at the prison. Are you going to be okay on your own?"

"Do I have a choice?" she smiled, knowing that Robin couldn't afford for another member to guard her. "Be safe."

"Don't leave this room."

She watched him run away from the glass to join the rest of her teammates, his kind warning the last thing she heard before silence surrounded her once more. Re-imprisoning an entire wing's worth of convicts was going to be a tiring undertaking – especially when they were down a team member. She couldn't even monitor the mission from the safe room due to its lack of resources. Sighing, she slumped back against the wall, wishing she hadn't smashed the bed up.

* * *

They watched from an undetectable distance as four of the Titans left the tower. Nodding at each other, they jumped from their treetop hiding place down onto the land surrounding the T-shaped structure. The shortest of the pair pulled a codebreaking device from his pocket, clicking it into place over the keypad entry system. It began to flash green as hundreds of combinations of numbers were tested on the lock. Finally it bleeped, unlocking the entrance.

Now for the alarm. Colson's video surveillance of the tower had come in useful in regards to security. He'd hacked the feeds near the entrances and exits and had the codes ready to hand to them. Quickly typing them in, he signaled to his colleague when it was clear. Together, they navigated their way through the corridors towards the room at the far end of the third floor.

* * *

Robin's bird-a-rang landed on target, making a huge hole in Plasmus' toxic body and sending him sprawling to the ground for Starfire to blast with her eyebolts. They sighed wearily when his body turned back into a sleeping human, but there was no time to relax: Control Freak was running towards them, his remote control pointed at them. Robin somersaulted out of the way as Starfire dived up into the air to avoid the laser blast. They landed back to back, using the time to plan their next move.

Several metres away, Beast Boy was thrashing his tyrannosaurus tail into Mad Mod's army, roaring at his victory. Cyborg was running up his back, readying his laser cannon and preparing to fire at Killer Moth and his plague of winged pests. Yelling, he fired at the insects, punching his fist in the air as he watched their wings burn off.

Beast Boy transformed into a cheetah, sprinting towards the Union Jack-clad redhead and pouncing on him. He grabbed the older villain's cane between his elongated fangs and bit down with a satisfying crunch. He fell to the floor, panting heavily as Mad Mod ran away from him powerless. Cyborg was ready though: he charged towards him, pushing him to the ground and keeping him there with his robotic knee. He handcuffed him and threw him towards the awaiting police officers.

Starfire was in the air once more, trying to ignore the pain in her side caused by Control Freak's video tapes pummelling her. Furious and fed-up, she screamed and released a star bolt into the chaos. The tapes fell to the floor and she watched as Robin avoided them and cuffed the overweight adult's hands together, grabbing the remote and smashing it with his steel-toed boots.

"I can't take anymore!" Beast Boy yelled to the others, breathing deeply.

"They're not stopping so neither can we!" Robin yelled back, wishing they could. He looked on as Kardiak rose into the air with electricity surrounding his tentacles. Extending his bo-staff, he ran at the monster, hoping the battle would be over soon.

* * *

Something was wrong; she could sense it. People were in the tower yet it was too early for her friends to have returned. Realising the potential danger, she abandoned her attempt at meditating and started to summon all her power reserves. She took a step back as something pounded against the reinforced doors.

"We know you're in there, demon. Why don't you come out and make our lives easier?"

She didn't respond, instead using her powers to black out the windows and add another layer of protection to the only doorway in and out of the room. She was trapped. Not wanting to alert the intruders of her presence, she grabbed her communicator, hesitating. Should she alert her friends? Or wait until there was something to worry about. She decided on the latter, calming herself as the banging persisted. Nothing was getting into this room.

He grasped the glowing handcuffs even tighter, the threat from Lindon hanging over his head. He hadn't come all this way to be stopped by a door. He wasn't leaving the tower without her.

"You can pretend all you like, Raven, but we all know that nothing can keep us out," he said in a deceptive voice. "We know all about you: your powers, your strengths, your weaknesses…"

"Instead of talking to _it_ ," his accomplice seethed, "Why don't you set up the bomb so we can get out of here!"

Hearing the word bomb, she held back a laugh. Did these idiots really think a bomb could gain them entry into the safest room of the tower? However, her body wasn't as confident as her mind: her heart was racing and her palms were sweating. She was fine. She was safe. At least she hoped she was.

"We know this room was built with magic, Raven. Like I said, we've done our homework," she heard from the other side of the door. She stubbornly refused to answer.

"Luckily for us, Dr. Lindon knows a thing or two about magic."

A countdown began. She could hear it.

"Unfortunately for you, you won't remember any of this little exchange."

The last thing she heard before her ears began to ring was an evil laugh. Whatever the bomb was made from was strong enough to burn a hole through the door and her energy. She felt herself be thrown back against the parallel wall, her bones aching as she fell to the floor. Her face flat against the floor warned her of the vibrating footsteps heading her way. She pushed herself up onto her forearms, her head rising to see a foot crash into her cheek. Everything went black for a second before the colours of the room swam across her vision. She threw a lightning bolt of magic behind her, hoping she'd hit her attackers, before swallowing herself in a shield. Through it, she got her first look at the two men: one muscular and tall with honey-coloured skin, the other shorter and skinnier. The former held the handcuffs from the day before in his hands.

"Tell your boss to go and fuck himself," she hissed through the ethereal energy.

"You can tell him yourself," the shorter one teased, placing a gloved hand on the shield and neutralising its effects immediately. It dissolved to reveal the cloaked heroine, a look of shock on her face as she comprehended what had just happened to her shield. "Now, be a good little birdie and hold still for my friend here."

In her peripheral vision, she saw the taller man coming at her with the glowing cuffs. She rolled out of the way, coming to an unsteady stop on her knees and rising to face them both. She ignored the throbbing in her head and chanted her words, ready to unleash hell on the men.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

Magic burst from her fingertips, flying towards the men and assaulting them. She didn't stop: she couldn't even she tried. All her frustrations were unleashed onto the fools who dared capture her. The pain of the sniper shots; the restless nights; the concern from her friends; all of it fuelled the fire within her. Finally she stopped. She eyed her victims, but they weren't victims at all. The laughed as they strode towards her weakened body. Gasping, she wondered how they were still alive.

"Oh Raven, you pitiful, pitiful creature. You just had to make things difficult for yourself, didn't you?"

* * *

Starfire landed next to her three friends having handed over the final villain to the police force. They had all sustained injuries in the battle but nothing life-threatening.

"Please, can we return to Raven?" she asked. She'd been worried the entire fight and wanted to check on her. Robin nodded in reply, running to his R-Cycle.

"Wait!" Cyborg yelled, stopping him in his tracks. "Something's wrong." He held up his arm, the wrist flashing red: a warning from the tower.

"No…" Beast Boy whispered.


	12. Teardown

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or anything affiliated with it.

* * *

She was gone. The four remaining Titans stood outside the safe room, frustration and fear adorned on their faces as they wondered how Lindon had pulled off Raven's capture. Robin stepped through the threshold, investigating every inch of the room for a clue but nothing sprung out at him: he was too emotional to think straight.

Cyborg slumped back against the wall. "I thought she'd be safe in here."

"We all did," Starfire whispered sadly, joining Robin in the room, her eyes focusing on the broken bed Raven had thrown at them. Her only female colleague was the strongest member of team: she shouldn't have been taken so easily. "Perhaps she was put in the impossible situation?"

"Blackmailed, you mean?" Beast Boy confirmed. When the Tamarian nodded, he replied with a shake. "Rae wouldn't go with them willingly."

"They used explosives," Robin said striding towards them and dropping a piece of a detonation device into Cyborg's outstretched palm. "Wanna bet it contains that compound? C… whatever it was."

Cyborg dropped the destroyed bomb fragment before kicking it further into the room. He turned to Robin. "What's the plan?"

"We're getting her back. _Now_."

* * *

When she woke up, the first sensation she felt was cold. Cold and the inability to move. Fearing what she'd find when she opened her eyes, Raven pushed down her unease and let her violet orbs adjust to her new unfamiliar surroundings: the room was bright white, its clinical feel making her feel nauseous; she could feel rough binding around her head, elbows, thighs and ankles – hence why she couldn't move her heavy limbs; machines were beeping in the distance while they recorded her vitals. Finally, she could see a glow from the handcuffs that were securing her wrists to each other as well as neutralising her powers. Trying not to vomit, she closed her eyes again and unoptimistically tried to contact Robin through their mind meld. It didn't work. She knew it wouldn't.

The sound of a lock clicking pulled out away from her grief. The door opened to reveal the Dr Lindon with his two henchmen – the ones who had brought her here – behind him looking smug.

"Good afternoon, Raven. I assume you're finding your stay pleasurable." Lindon's sinister tone echoed around the brightly lit room as the men smirked. Although she couldn't see them, she could feel them glaring at her before their heads came into view, leering over her face.

"I've had more comfortable beds – I could do with some more pillows."

He slapped her around the face, her cheek instantly flaring with scarlet tones as her body recoiled on the cool metal surface she was lying on.

"That's no way to address your host, is it my dear?" he seethed, massaging his stinging palm out of her line of vision.

She risked asking another question. "What do you want with me Marcus?"

Annoyed that she knew his identity – although not surprised – he decided not to answer. He'd waited a long time for the moment when she was finally his to experiment on and he didn't want to start it with meaningless conversations. He walked to a metal cupboard, opening it and searching for the syringes. Locating what he needed, he sat down on a stool and wheeled over to her bedside, unafraid because of the restraints on her. This was the closest he'd knowingly been to a demon: he knew to take the right precautions.

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked, trying to keep the worry out of her voice. The quickening of the heart monitor giving away her panic. He continued to ignore her questions, focusing instead on filling the syringe with a chemical compound he'd manufactured – but not tested. Lindon grabbed her arm roughly, causing his test subject to pathetically hiss, and slapped it until he could clearly see a blue vein in the crook of her elbow. He emptied the contents of the syringe into her bloodstream.

Raven lay there, knowing better than to try and struggle when a psychotic man was injecting her with an unknown substance – not that she could have anyway. She could feel the effects of the mystery liquid immediately as her whole body began to swelter. Sweat poured from the pores on her forehead, running down her flushed face and off the edge of her chin. It was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe. All she could do was remain calm as she heard the door click shut.

* * *

"We're five minutes away, Robin," Cyborg announced to his leader from the front seat of the T-Car. Starfire was on his right and Beast Boy and Robin were in the back seats, all of them anxious to find Raven and return her home safely. They held on tightly as the half-robot sped across lanes of mid-afternoon traffic towards Marcus Lindon's laboratory – their second visit in less than twenty-four hours.

The Titans were prepared to rip Lindon to shreds. They all tried to distract themselves from their thoughts of Raven's well-being but it was too difficult. The last couple of weeks had been hell for all of them – their guards never lowered in fear of their demoness friend being shot down by Lyle, kidnapped by Lindon's men, or tailed by whoever was in charge of the secretive folder they'd hacked.

"We'll get her back and she'll be okay," Beast Boy said with optimism, although his smile didn't quite reach as wide as it normally did. Robin nodded, his mask narrowed in concentration as he contemplated their plan. Lindon would be expecting them. They were probably heading for a trap. But there had been nothing before now to suggest that the rest of the Titans were required for whatever operation Lindon had planned. Either way, he had to ensure his team was prepared for whatever lay ahead.

"There is probably a trap waiting for us," Robin stated, getting the attention of the other three members in the car.

"It is highly probable," Starfire confirmed, remembering the industrial buildings through the window and feeling her adrenaline rising as they got closer in proximity to the lab.

Beast Boy didn't agree. "Or it could be a bluff," he offered, also realising they were getting close and feeling his claws itching against his gloves.

"All y'all need to know is that we're getting Raven back, no matter what it takes or what is waitin' behind those doors," Cyborg said confidently, pointing in the distance to the laboratory where their friend was being held. He cloaked the T-Car, stealthily parking it away from sight and heading to the building on foot.

"We're staying together," Robin reminded them. He'd contacted the Titans East to forewarn them about their whereabouts in case they were captured and needed back-up. His team nodded back in confirmation, ready for battle.

Beast Boy transformed into a tiny spider, slipped under the reinforced door and unlocked it from the inside. Returning to his human form and pushing it open, he allowed his friend through before turning into a bloodhound and trying to detect Raven's unique scent. Meanwhile, Cyborg scanned the corridors for signs of suspects and was relieved to find no one there. Robin wasn't.

"Why is there no one here?" he questioned, suspicious by the lack of activity. The laboratory was a large building – as they'd discovered the evening before – which should have been full of scientists working at this time of day.

"I can't smell her," Beast Boy added, back in human form once more. "And why is it so quiet?"

"My thoughts exactly."

* * *

Her head was spinning from the constant perspiration. Ever since Lindon had drugged her, she'd become dehydrated and even more nauseous than before. Her breath came out of her dry mouth in small gasps as she licked the little saliva she was producing and swallowed it. Groaning, she turned her head and tried to wipe it on the shoulder of her leotard, her forehead slipping beneath the cord around her head, but the relief would have to wait: the restraints strangled her body, allowing no movement. She began to feel the room spinning around her, the dizziness distracting her from Lindon's presence as he re-entered the room.

He walked up to the monitor, first noticing how slow her heart rate had become and then her core temperature. It was the highest he'd ever recorded. Smiling, he turned around and went to her, pulling a capsule in an air-sealed plastic container from his jacket pocket. Raven tried to glare at her captor but she was too weak. With latex gloves covering his hands, he prised open her mouth and shoved the capsule to the back of her throat, then forcibly tilted her head back so she'd swallow it. Raven coughed as she felt the tablet go down her windpipe, the dry sensation making her gag.

Lindon disappeared from her view but she knew he was still near her. She closed her eyes and tried to meditate. Anything was better than wondering what effect the tablet would have on her. It was a few minutes later, after several failed attempts to ignore signs of panic, that Raven realised the sweating had stopped. The nausea was still there and she was left with a horrific headache from the lack of water.

"Can I have some water?" she pleaded, hating how weak she sounded. She took his laugh as a no. As quick as a flash of lightning, pain shot up her legs into her spinal cord, causing her lower back to seize off the metal table beneath her. She cried out, the agony sending her nerves into a frenzy. "What… are… you…" she started to say, when another jolt silenced her.

Lindon ran to his drawers and pulled out a torch. He grasped her eyelids and shone the torch into her eyes, blinding her momentarily. "Fascinating!" he murmured, turning away from her quickly and loading more statistics onto the screen. "You truly are a remarkable specimen."

 _Specimen_. In any other situation, she would have ripped his head from his neck and thrown his body into the ocean surrounding Jump City. But she had no control. He was in charge.

"Your temperature was meant to drop, which it has. But the nerve damage…" Raven couldn't tell if he was actually talking to her, or talking to himself. She grit her teeth as the pain rolled up her spine and up to her neck, like her bones were ready to break out of her body and escape.

"Please," she cried, dignity gone, "Make it stop!" Her fists clenched together so hard that she drew blood. Four identical nail-shaped marks scarred her hands and slowly seeped a steady stream of blood into her palms, making them uncomfortably slick.

Lindon ignored her screams as they echoed off the white walls. He watched as her temperature readings dropped from the high one-hundreds down into the forties. Pretty soon she'd be shivering as her core temperature fell drastically low – for a human. But she wasn't a human.

* * *

The Titans continued forward down the corridor, surprised that there was no one there to attack them like they were expecting. They were armed anyway, ready for when the imminent ambush came: Robin held two birdarangs between his fingers and had his other hand placed on his belt, ready to pull out a smoke grenade; Starfire's hands were glowing green, ready to throw a starbolt at an assailant; Beast Boy was in leopard form, claws unsheathed and ears low against his head; Cyborg's hand had been replaced by his laser cannon, but it was down as his side instead of out in front of him.

"I'm still not detecting anything, Rob," he informed his leader, his scanners picking up no signs of life.

"Perhaps we should try the rooms?" Starfire suggested, floating towards the next one on the left. Her hand grasped the handle and she pushed it open. There was nothing inside. Literally nothing.

Robin opened the adjacent door and found the same thing; there was nothing in the room when there definitely should have been.

The team opened four more doors before their suspicions were confirmed: Lindon was gone.

"God dammit!" Robin shouted, punching the last door they'd opened. "He's moved base."

Starfire flew over to his side and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "It's okay Robin. You must not give up hope."

"But we have no idea where she is!" he shouted angrily. "He could have her holed up anywhere and we have no way to track her."

"We could check his office - the one where Raven was yesterday?" Beast Boy clarified, running to the end of the corridor and trying to get his bearings of where he'd found the unconscious mage the evening before. He turned right at the junction with the others following close behind. After a few more turns, he was in the spot where he'd found her. They were close. Beast Boy led the way again, retracing the way Raven's soul-self had flown as it searched for her body. Finally, they found Lindon's office.

Starfire flew to the keypad on the side of the door. "How might we unlock the doors?" she asked naively, tentatively pressing one of the numbers.

Cyborg strode forward, gently pushing her out of way before he slammed his fist against it. With sparks flying from the pad, he smirked and went to the doors, wrenching them open with his fingertips until the gap was wide enough for him to fit through. Behind him, he saw Beast Boy clapping his hands.

"The bastard ain't using it no more," he shrugged at Robin as he stepped aside to let the others through. Like the other rooms, there was nothing inside that showed the office had been occupied a few hours before. "Damn – he really cleared out this place, huh."

"Unfortunately," Robin grumbled, circling the empty room.

"What's plan B?" Beast Boy asked, wasting no time. "No use stickin' around this dump if it's not gonna help us find Rae."

Robin was impressed with Beast Boy's resolve. He'd sounded so heart-broken when Cyborg showed them the alert from the Tower after their battle earlier that day. He was worried that the youngest member of the team's emotions would get in the way of him helping them find Raven, but they'd had the opposite effect: his determination and focus had improved immensely – which is what they all needed.

"What do you suggest?" Robin asked the changeling, interested in his opinion.

"Well," he started, scratching his head and looking sheepish. Robin or Cyborg normally made the plans.

"You had the idea of coming here," Robin gestured to the office. "What do you think we should do next?"

Encouraged by Robin's faith in him, Beast Boy continued, "Cy said that Lindon was working with this Colson guy. Maybe it's worth doing more research on him." His voice went high-pitched at the end as Robin stared at him, his mask not giving anything away about how he would respond to his idea.

"It's the only lead we have," Robin smiled. "A good one."

"So we are heading back to the tower?" Starfire sighed, disheartened that they hadn't found Raven. Her stomach dropped when Robin nodded. "I fear for Raven's safety."

Cyborg enveloped her in a one-armed hug, his metal hand rubbing her arm in comfort. "We all do. We just have to trust that she's alright."

"I have great doubts about that, Cyborg."

The men watched as their most optimistic teammate walked out of the office, her slim frame fitting easily through the gap in the damaged doors. None of them failed to notice her inability to fly.

Sighing, Robin led the rest of them out of the abandoned room and followed Starfire out of the building and to the T-Car. They drove away, drowning in silence and prayers that Raven could handle her own until they could help her.

* * *

She was exhausted. She needed to sleep. At the least, she needed her body to shut down and force itself to rest. But it wasn't: every few minutes, it went into spasm. Her mouth was numb from keeping it shut. She didn't want Lindon to hear her scream anymore. He hadn't left the room since he'd forced the medication down her throat, and she'd given up begging for mercy he wasn't willing to give.

"I must say, I didn't think your kind were capable of withstanding this much pain."

She grit her teeth as another wave of pain rolled through her. She wasn't withstanding anything; she was feeling every last muscle in her body protest, every tendon stretching and contacting, every bone ache. She could no longer distinguish what hurt and what didn't.

"My _kind_ ," she hissed, taking a deep breath, "Are capable of many things, as you'll find out when I get out of here." She scared herself with how low and threatening the words spilled out of her mouth.

"Your determination is admirable, demon, but useless." He was hovering over her again, his torch in hand ready to shine in her eyes. She was ready to gouge his out of their sockets. She felt his hands twist her fists open, the blood that stained her palms cooling from being exposed to the air.

"That's one way to give a blood sample," he smirked. "But I think I'll stick with my original method." She heard him walking back to the cupboards on the far side of the room, glass containers clinking against the metallic shelves as he rooted for what he needed. He returned within minutes, a cannula kit ready to withdraw blood from her. She heard the plastic rip open and the scratch as the needle was inserted into the same place where he'd injected her before. The bruised area protested, throbbing tirelessly in time with her weary breaths.

"I wonder how much blood a demon has in their system," he stated, roughly pushing the first vial into the cannula and watching as it filled with dark-red liquid.

"I wonder how much blood will be on this floor when I'm done with you," she said, not sounding as hostile as before. The spasms wrecking her form stopped momentarily, allowing her to focus on the throbbing in her arm and the light-headedness that came with blood loss.

Lindon started on the second vial, ignoring her empty threats. "I'm going to guess twelve vials."

Raven wasn't medically trained, but even she knew that twelve vials worth of blood was too much to lose at once. She tried in vain to move her arm away but Lindon's hold was firm, as was the hold of his cuffs.

"Hmmm, I didn't think it was possible for you to get more pale."

"You know nothing about me," she sighed, trying to fight away the haze in her peripheral vision.

Lindon put the lid on the fifth vial before whispering in her ear, "You're telling me all I need to know."

With his warm breath in her ear, she passed out.


	13. Drawdown

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or anything affiliated with it.

* * *

Raven felt like her body had been crushed by a bulldozer, yet her limbs felt strangely weightless. Thankful that they were no longer spasming, she tried to breathe a deep sigh of relief, hissing when pain shot across her chest. Taking shallow breaths, her eyes glanced around the room. Lindon had left her alone with only the beeping machines for company. She didn't know how long it had been since she fainted. She didn't know what the maniac had done to her while she was unconscious. She didn't know where her friends were. She didn't know what to do.

Meditating was the only solace she could find so she closed her eyes and tried to ignore the continuous drones of the medical machines to find her centre. Instantly feeling calmer, she whispered her mantra and tried her best to forget about her current predicament.

* * *

The Titans had retired to their respective bedrooms an hour ago. Despite wanting to continue their search efforts and find their missing member, their exhausted bodies threatened to collapse. Robin lay wide awake in his bed, restlessly tossing and turning under his covers. Frustrated, he threw them off and jumped up, ran over to the punching bag in the corner of his room and started to attack it with the ferocity of a ravenous animal. The bag groaned in protest with each hit, flying in various directions. Sweat began to pour down his masked face but he didn't stop. He finally came to a breathless halt when the chain broke, sending the bag plummeting to the floor. Robin fell to his knees, gulping in oxygen and staring at his clenched fists.

"I guess we're going shopping for new bags, huh?"

Robin whipped around to find Beast Boy standing in his now-open doorway holding the shredded remains of the punching bag from the gym. He couldn't help but smirk as he waved the changeling into his room.

"Don't let Starfire hear you say that: she'll think you mean handbags," Robin said, pushing his weight onto his hands and pushing himself up so he was sitting on the floor and leaning against the fallen bag. Beast Boy sniggered and gracefully fell next to him, keeping the ruined material clutched between his gloved fingers.

"What are we gonna do, man? We need her."

"I know," Robin replied, thinking about how lucky they were that the alarm hadn't sounded since Raven's disappearance. "We'll find her Beast Boy. At least we know who has her – it could be a lot worse." He heard Beast Boy's deep intake of breath and knew he needed to explain himself before he offended him. "I mean it should be easier to find her knowing who is behind this. It might take a little time, but we'll find her."

This seemed to appease the changeling, the anger draining from his eyes. "What do you think he's doing to her?" he asked, twisting the plastic in his hands as nervous energy coursed through him.

Robin didn't want to think about it. The thoughts running through his mind made his chest tight with worry.

"I mean," Beast Boy continued, "I know she's like the strongest one of us all and that she can handle anything, but what if she's not alright?"

Robin sighed, "You need to keep that in mind – Raven is a fighter and she's been through worse situations than this. She'll make it through this one and we'll be there to help her."

Both men stared ahead, their own thoughts wondering in different directions.

"I hope you're right, Robin."

* * *

The door slammed open, jolting Raven out of her attempt to meditate. It had worked for a short time: the beeps had silenced and the tension had left her body as she imagined herself back in Titans Tower with her friends. But Lindon storming into the room had shaken her out of the fantasy and thrown her back into reality. Her heart raced as he grabbed her arms and lifted her into a sitting position, holding onto her pale flesh so tightly that she knew she'd be left with bruises. She didn't threaten him like before: they both knew she couldn't do anything. He roughly pushed her forward so her head was close to her knees and lifted up the back of her gown, revealing her bare bony back.

Raven shuddered as his fingers slowly caressed the vertebrate of her spine. Her nerves sent alarming signals to her brain to fight back, unknowing that she couldn't. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment as her skin tingled at his touch. Unable to see, she focused on the sound of plastic wrapping being undone. A syringe. She heard the older man shout for his assistants, who immediately came through the door. She felt more hands holding her down. Annoyed and afraid, Raven began struggling against her restrainers, trying her best to ignore the pain shooting through her chest like lightning bolts.

"Hold her still!"

The men got her head in a headlock and held her knees so she couldn't move. She winced as she felt the syringe being inserted between her vertebrate into her spinal cord. Then she felt nothing. At the command from Lindon, the men released her and pushed her back against the thin mattress. She tried to sit up but she couldn't. She couldn't move. Panicking rising within her, Raven tried to rouse her arms, legs, neck… but she was paralysed.

"What did you do?" she asked, her high-pitched voice giving away her alarm. If Lindon heard her, he didn't show it. He walked to the end of her bed and gently stroked her ankle. She watched with fright as her foot remained in position, begging for it to flinch away from his touch.

"I figured that our next series of experiments would work best without any physical stimuli," he answered as he touched her other leg.

"So you're focusing on my mind," she hissed, calculating Lindon's next move.

"I didn't realise that demons were this intelligent," Lindon laughed at his colleagues, who quickly joined in. He lowered her bed down closer to the floor and asked for a razor. Once the implement was in his hand, he shaved the side of Raven's head. She couldn't see the locks of violet hair fall to ground but she could feel the sharp razor's blades cutting against her scalp and aching as the small cuts reacted to being in the open air. Lindon stepped back and watched as his associates attached two electrodes to the newly-shaved patches on the side of her head.

"Now Raven, I just need you to relax," Lindon said, going over to a computer and quickly typing.

"Easier said than done," she spat. She tried to move before one of the men threw a punch at her face but couldn't. Her cheekbone fired red.

"Now now, there's no need for that," Lindon said, aiming his words at everyone in the room. "The more you relax, the easier it'll be for me to read your thoughts and the sooner I'll restore the feeling back to your body."

Raven couldn't help but smirk, the low laugh escaping from between her lips. "I am one of the most powerful half-demon's in this dimension and I was trained by the best. I'm warning you know, you'll be disappointed by the results."

"I highly doubt that."

"Unless your experiment involves seeing you die a thousand slow painful deaths, trust me."

When the man who'd thrown the first punch pulled back his fist once more and this time Raven was ready for it. She didn't even flinch as her face burned once more. It added fuel to her fire.

However, she was unprepared for the electrical sensation that suddenly attacked her head. She screamed, the sound scraping against her throat. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead and glided across her swollen cheek. Threatened by her enemy reading her innermost thoughts, she tried to ignore the pain and erect her mental shields – just like Azar had taught her many years ago. She battled as she felt electricity try to prise them open, but she had been raised by a very good teacher. The shields stayed strong.

Lindon frowned as he studied the computer monitors which revealed nothing. Diverting his attention to the captured demoness, he couldn't help but be impressed by her power in the face of adversity.

"Well, I've certainly underestimated you, Raven."

Raven hissed through clenched teeth, "You're not the first."

* * *

Welcoming the morning sun through his open window, Cyborg smiled at the sight of a new day. The majestic sight of the city waking up distracted him for a moment about Raven – almost. He jumped out of 'bed' and walked quickly to the common room, ready to continue the search for Lindon. Robin had beaten him to it. Starfire floated behind the masked hero as he sat back in the console chair with his hands behind his head. He had decided to focus his efforts on Beast Boy's suggestion – Colson.

"Anything?" Cyborg asked both of them.

"There has been no sign of Raven thus far," the alien replied, looking at him with melancholy eyes. "But Beast Boy has ventured into the city to do the searching while we research Colson."

Cyborg didn't like the idea of the Titans going solo. "I'll join him," he said without argument, running to the fridge first to get a sandwich.

"Let us know if you find anything," Robin ordered as he ran towards the door. Cyborg nodded in reply, not looking back as he left the room and started locking onto Beast Boy's communicator signal. He was currently flying over the west side of town – a predominately wealthy neighbourhood near the business district of Jump.

"Yo, B. I'm joining you shortly."

The changeling didn't reply, but Cyborg didn't expect him to while in avian form, so he started the T-car and sped out of the tower to the western district.

* * *

Her breaths were growing heavier and heavier as she tried her best to resist opening her walls. On the brink of unconsciousness, she still enjoyed the turmoil that Lindon was in as he impatiently cursed that he wasn't gaining access to her mind as easily as he'd hoped.

"Stop resisting, Raven. You're only prolonging the inevitable."

It was impossible for her to reply as the pain became too much. The walls fell. She cried out as her memories left her and appeared on Lindon's screen. She could hear him chuckle darkly as he analysed and admired the images.

"Are all demons conceived by rape?"

Four blood-red eyes replaced Raven's purple irises but she was powerless to live out her fantasy of severing the man's head clean off his torso.

"And are all demons abandoned by their families? Or was it just a special privilege for you?"

Lindon thrived in this torture, knowing he was safe. He wasn't perturbed by the four eyes she glared at him with. If looks could kill, he'd be shaking the devil's hand.

"What I want to know is," he teased, coming out from behind the computer and striding towards her chair, leaning in close to her left ear, "How could a child with your burdens go on living, when you could kill yourself? With your childhood, I certainly would have." He pat her cheek several times in a patronising gesture, laughing as her brainwaves jumped from the top of the screen to the bottom. The console beeped, signalling that the process had been successful. Immediately, the electricity stopped and Raven fell as far forward as the chair would allow her to. She was out for the count. The men removed the equipment from her skull while Lindon began to create an antidote for the temporary paralysis. When he was done, he ordered his men to administer it while he sat down and looked through the images, his smirk growing with each click of the mouse.

* * *

Starfire had only left the common room for a short while to relieve herself, but when she returned, she found Robin on the floor, his fingertips gripping his hair as if he would rip it out from the root.

"Robin! What is the matter?" she said, trying not to panic. His eyes were closed behind his creased-up mask. The only communication he did was shake his head. "I will alert the others." She grabbed her communicator and rang the boys. Beast Boy answered but Cyborg was also in the picture.

"What is it, Star?" Beast Boy asked, concerned by the look on her face.

"Robin is in pain and I do not know the cause." She turned the communicator towards her fallen leader so that the others could see for themselves.

"What happened?" Cyborg probed. Starfire could tell from the movements on the screen that he and Beast Boy were running.

"I came back from the bathroom and found him like this." Her voice was getting higher as Robin writhed on the floor. She hated seeing him like this. It reminded her of when Slade's powdered had infected him.

"Could it be Raven?" Beast Boy asked suddenly. "Her and Robin have a mind connection thing, right?"

Starfire hoped not, because that would mean that Raven was in the same agony that Robin was in right now.

"We're on our way, Star. Don't worry."

She ended the call and focused on relieving Robin's pain. She grabbed a cushion from the sofa and placed it carefully under his head before grabbing his hand and letting him claw his nails into her hand. She could take it.

* * *

Lindon thought he had seen everything in his years as a scientist. But he was wrong. He'd scrolled through hundreds of images that he'd gathered in his latest experiment and each time another one filled the screen, he was surprised once more. Most of them were of her childhood, locked in a temple of solitude, training her mind as people in cloaks instructed her. Some involved the Titans. Even fewer showed what he actually needed.

When he'd accepted the contract to capture, interrogate and gather intelligence on the demoness, he'd been given specific instructions: don't kill her and find out about the supposed 'end of the world'. The Jump City government had discovered the possibility that Raven had caused the catastrophic event but no one could verify it other than the Titans themselves. Predicting that they would defend their female teammate, the government decided to go to the source itself. They wanted evidence of the Earth's destruction – and he'd found it.

He encrypted four vital images on a memory drive, each one showing Jump City in ruins – the tallest skyscrapers reduced to rubbles of debris; the citizens frozen in stone tombs in the middle of their daily lives; the normally-blue sky and sea as red as the fire that the demons were created from. Far from stupid, he made several copies of the file of photos.

"She's waking up, Doctor. What shall we do with her?"

He went silent as he considered his options. "Give her some food and water," he instructed, remembering that she wasn't to be killed. His associate didn't question him, leaving straight away to fulfill his request. Lindon deleted the remaining pictures, not seeing a need for them, and shut down the computer. He'd had enough for today. The clock read midday. He hadn't realised that he'd been awake all night. Deciding that his science was best conducted after a few hours rest, he headed for his sleeping quarters, conjuring up dreams of what he could do the demoness next.

* * *

When Cyborg and Beast Boy arrived back at the tower, the scene that they'd seen on their communicator screen remained the same, minus a cushion. The two ran over to the pair, scanning Robin's body up and down as his fists started to unclench and his breathing slowed. He went to sit up, struggling as he did, before Cyborg pushed him back down.

"Hold up, Robin. Just relax."

Robin couldn't relax, not after what he'd just felt. He had been scanning some content on Colson when a sudden burst of pain claimed his mind. He knew it was Raven – what other explanation was there. He tried to contact her – let her know that he was there – but it was no use. All he felt was endless pain, like an electric shock in his head. He wasn't aware of when Starfire returned, or Beast Boy and Cyborg, but he was glad they were there.

"It was Raven, wasn't it?" Beast Boy asked with hope. Robin nodded, massaging his aching head.

"Did you speak to her? Was she able to communicate where she was?" Starfire said anxiously, unable to hide her disappointment when he shook his head.

"I don't think she meant to reach out to me," he stuttered as the pain lowered to a throbbing ache. "If she does, she normally talks."

"At least we know she's alive," Beast Boy said after a few moments of silence - welcome optimism as all the remaining members contemplated what their missing teammate was going through.


End file.
